


The Dual Robot Symphony Project

by SereneShadows



Category: Daft Punk
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Daft Punk Love, Daft Punk Slash, Gay Robots, Other, Robotics, Robots, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-02
Updated: 2015-01-21
Packaged: 2018-02-19 13:46:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 27,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2390567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SereneShadows/pseuds/SereneShadows
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Daft Punk were actually robots? Who envisioned them? Who created them? How did they become who they are today?</p><p>Two scientists embark on a project to create music making robots. An anonymous agent is sent to gain their trust and observe their work. The story is told through the various logs the agent writes.</p><p>The following logs document the robots' genesis, their making, their learning experiences, their emotional turmoils, and their discoveries on music, life, friendship, and even love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Genesis

The following is a series of logs written in observation of The Dual Robot Symphony Project. The agent assigned to this case is to remain anonymous for their protection.

On September 9, 1983, Dr. Gerard Bangalter and Dr. Serge Christo presented to a top secret organization their plan to create two robots to resemble human beings that would be programmed for making music. They claimed the project to be an experiment in robotics, and also to see if computers were capable of creating symphonies. The project was titled The Dual Robot Symphony Project. The doctors' plans pended approval for five years. On September 9, 1988, Dr. Bangalter and Dr. Christo's plan was finally approved of, and a year later they had sufficient starting funds and team ready to embark on the Project.

Our anonymous agent was sent to gain the trust of Dr. Bangalter and Dr. Christo and observe the activities and planning of the Project, so that a watchful eye could be kept on what the doctors were doing and where potential millions of dollars would be going into.

The following are the first wave of documents made by the anonymous agent sent back to HQ.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 **Log 1:**  
I am documenting my first day of observation of The Dual Robot Symphony Project.

The two leaders behind the project, Doctors Bangalter and Christo, claimed that they had a solution to make the agency a lot money whilst having a tight leash on their musical talent: robots.

After much dispute and contemplation, it seems that five years later the Doctors' idea has resurfaced and has strangely enough been approved. Doctors Bangalter and Christo have formed a team of engineers and the like to help with the development of the robots.

I had to go through great measures of red tape and security to finally be allowed into the establishment the doctors called a lab. So far, they have only roughed their crazy plan through a series of drawings. I'm wondering if the agency really thinks this project is a good idea or if it's a useless endeavor and they are giving the engineers something to do with their time. I suppose after spending over a decade in university together, two men cannot help but want to make reality their crazy ideas.

There's not much to report on today. I only caught a glimpse of the drawings and can hardly remember what they looked like. I will hopefully gather more information as I investigate further.

 **Log 2:**  
It has been about two weeks since I was last allowed into the lab. I actually got a chance to speak with the doctors directly. I can hardly believe that two men deemed geniuses trust me enough to take me under their wing to observe their top secret work. They even introduced me to the rest of the engineers as their personal protege and a friend of the agency.

Dr. Bangalter spoke to me mostly, showing me the finalized concept of his robot. The robot appeared to look like a man with shiny silver hands and a silver head, with two tubes running down the back leading to a box on its back. When I asked about the box, he explained that it would be the robots' power source. He flipped through various other sketches of what the inside of the robot's head and body would look like.

He told me he has already picked out a name for his robot: Thomas. Thomas Bangalter. His explanation is a simple one: "If I had a son, I would have wanted him to be named Thomas. And I see this robot as my son; I'm shaping and developing him in such a way that a father would be proud. He is to be the brain of the duo, and Dr. Christo's the heart".

I did not get a chance to speak to Dr. Christo today except for the hello at the door. He seemed to be caught up in his other work. I am hoping to see the roughs of his robot.

  
 **Log 3:**  
Nearly two months later, I returned to the lab. I was greeted by Dr. Bangalter and immediately asked him for Dr. Christo's plans. He reluctantly retrieved them. Dr. Christo's robot was similar to that of Dr. Bangalter's in that it also seemed like a man, but with golden hands and a golden head, though its head seemed more like a black visor. Apparently, Dr. Christo hasn't chosen a name for his robot yet, though Dr. Bangalter said that he urges his partner to follow the same sort of "fatherly" name with his unit.

Dr. Bangalter went on to explain that the robots are going to share a sort of symbiotic relationship and will share brainwaves, if you will, via cable. That way, the two can envision music in harmony. Thomas is going have a vocal synthesizer that the doctors are calling a "vox processor", which will enable him to sing. Dr. Bangalter told me that voice synthesizing is a rather difficult endeavor and in order to do so successfully, he will need to sample some voices from human beings. He then proceeded to show me his blueprints of what the vox processor would look like and tried to explain the science behind it, but I got none of that.

He also showed me an extensive blueprint of the other entry ports on the back of their necks, one in particular that he said they would use to recharge the power packs on their backs. "Of course they can't last forever," he explained, "They need reserve power. They will be able to last for long periods of time, but at some point they will have to recharge."

I have also been curious as to why the doctors want to make two robots instead of one unit. So, I asked Dr. Bangalter this and his response was an interesting one: "All good things in this world come in twos. We come in twos; two eyes, to arms, two ears, two legs, etcetera. It takes two to love and create a life, two sets of chromosomes, the double helix, symmetry. You see? All beautiful things come in pairs. All beautiful things are made from a pair. It is like how Buddha once said: 'Unity can only be manifested by the Binary. Unity itself and the idea of Unity are already two.' "

Again, I didn't get a chance to speak to Dr. Christo. I am hoping that I won't have to wait too long. I have been so caught up in Dr. Bangalter's work that I haven't had a chance to understand the work Dr. Christo is doing.

  
 **Log 4:**  
I have taken your advice on speaking to the other engineers behind the project.

The first engineer I spoke to was a fresh-out-of-university young man named Jean Richard. I asked Jean what he thought about the project and what he thought would come out of it.

"To be quite honest," Jean told me, "I'm really not sure where this is headed. Does this really count as science?"

This interested me; it gave me the idea that the other engineers in on this project don't have faith in Bangalter and Christo.

Jean went on to say, "But I am interested in seeing the results. I wonder what kind of music these two will make, especially since one of them is supposed to sing!"

The next engineer I spoke to was Julie De La Fontaine, the head of the robotic limbs sector. Her thoughts regarding the Project are as follows: "I hope I can be a big help to Dr. Christo and Dr. Bangalter! It's such an honor that they chose me to be a part of their project. My crew and I are attempting to design the robots' limbs so that they can move fluidly like human beings. I wonder if people will think the robots are actually just people wearing masks."

It was certainly interesting to see Julie's positive outlook on the project. And it was even more interesting to learn that the robots are going to be designed to move like people.

I spoke to a few other people involved in the project, and all of them gave me varying answers, mostly simple. One, however, struck me as the strangest response.

Natascha Nabokov, a woman working in the musical composition area of the artificial intelligence sector, told me the following: "Robots making music will truly be something incredible. I can't wait to see what they do and how their music sounds. Though, what I mostly wonder is if they'll be happy. There's some things going on in the artificial intelligence sector that make me wonder how they will be on the inside, not the mechanics, but . . . If they're going to be happy."

Natascha Nabokov offered no further comment when I pressed her on this.

 **Log 5:  
** I finally got a chance to speak to Dr. Christo. I have never met a more serious man in my life, or at least that is how he came off.

Compared to Bangalter, Christo's outlook on the Project was a more serious one. He told me that yes, the Project was a very expensive one that would cost them perhaps millions of dollars, but he claimed that if the robots were successful, they would earn all that money back and more. Or at least the robots had to be successful, otherwise the whole Project would be a waste of time.

I then asked Dr. Christo to enlighten me on the details of his robot. Dr. Christo showed me the final blueprints of not only his robot's design, but Bangalter's. I got a good look at them and can now describe in detail the cover picture. They appeared to be two men, Christo's robot having golden hands and head with a black screen and no apparent face, the screen on its head lit on the sides with lights, with a label saying that the lights are controlled by Christo's robot; Bangalter's robot's scheme was silver, the strip across its head having rainbow lights on the side and the strip itself was lit red. A label pointed to the strip saying "communication strip". Thomas at least had a line indicating a mouth, which gave him a rather expressionless face.

He explained the reasoning for the colour choices, that he felt that silver and gold are colours of desire; people wish to wear gold and silver, it is materials that are coveted. Of course, the heads and hands weren't going to be made of actual gold and silver, Christo explained, because they were already sinking heavy sums of money into the Project itself and didn't need anymore for aesthetics.

I saw again the entry ports at the back of the robots' necks that Bangalter had explained to me before, in which they would connect to each other when developing music to share brainwaves. I also saw a finalized blueprint of Thomas' vox processor, critical "brain components", their optical recognition system (their sight), and Guy-Manuel's "heart" component. Seeing all of these detailed blueprints has given me a somewhat better understanding of what the rest of the team is doing.

Dr. Christo explained lights to me, the lights inside the robots' heads. He explained to me that since the robots won't be able to speak, they will have to communicate through words and pictures on their faces, which made me understand the labels on the drawings. I asked Dr. Christo why the robots can't speak. He told me, "Obedience and control".

  
 **Log 6:**  
Dr. Bangalter told me today that Dr. Christo's robot has a name now: Guillaume Emmanuel de Homem-Christo, Guy-Manuel for short. Bangalter told me that Christo had gone with the "fatherly" kind of idea with the last name, but wanted to give his robot a name that sounded beautiful. He explained that Emmanuel was Dr. Christo's middle name and Homem his previous last name, the one he had before marrying the woman whose last name he took, though eventually divorced her. Bangalter explained as well that Dr. Christo chose such a name, including bits of his own name because he felt as though he was literally putting his entire self into the Project and wanted it to show in his work.

So, the finalized summary of the Project is two robotic men, one who can sing. When I initially took on this project, I did not know what to expect. Now I'm truly seeing how invested Bangalter and Christo are in their work, enough to get emotionally attached to their creations.

I asked Bangalter more questions about Thomas' vox processor and how that would effect his ability to communicate, remembering what Christo said about obedience and control. Bangalter told me that the voice for the processor had already been sampled and the only sounds produced were for singing. So, unless Thomas wanted to sing all the time, he was going to have to be quiet and communicate through words and images on his screen.

This got me curious. I asked Bangalter how much feeling and free will would these robots have . He didn't seem to want to tell me much on the matter, except that they would feel enough.

This also made me remember what Natascha Nabokov had told me, wondering if the robots would be happy. I have decided that I will look further into this and will do what I can to reach the artificial intelligence sector.

 **Log 7:  
** Today was a success in reaching the artificial intelligence sector. I was directed to the head of the sector, the one Dr. Christo said is the most critical component of the entire Project: Adele Lachance. I even shook hands with her personal assistant, Xavier Shulz. I asked Adele about the robots' free will and their ability to feel. Adele seemed reluctant to answer, but with enough persuasion, she finally told me what Bangalter was hiding.

"They can feel," she said, "They will be able to feel a lot. The bosses want them to feel because they believe that music can't be made without the ability to feel, that art is an expression of the soul. And since robots don't have souls, we have to let them feel somehow."

She showed me the extensive details in the design of Thomas' "brain", and the portion that would allow him to feel, similar to that of the human amygdala. Guy-Manuel's "heart" would be located in his chest, of course, and would be the source of his feelings. She said that in theory, they should be able to feel a large variety of emotions, and this can only be proven once put to the test, and testing for that won't happen until they are activated.

Adele went on to explain the robots' special parts, Thomas' "brain" and Guy-Manuel's "heart". Thomas was going to be the logical unit and would add things to music because he "thinks" it's right, whereas Guy-Manuel would add things to music because he "feels" it's right. I personally couldn't tell the difference between "thinking" and "feeling". I think I'll put some thought into it.

Before leaving, I did speak to another member of the artificial intelligence sector, Markus Janke. I asked him questions about the robots' feelings and how they would show it, wondering if their communication strips and body language would be good enough for them.

Markus seemed distressed, as he offered me the following thoughts: "They're making a big mistake. I keep telling them this, but they won't listen. You can't give something feelings and tape its mouth shut. Dr. Christo and Dr. Bangalter want the robots to feel so much and Dr. Lachance is giving them so much capacity to feel, and yet the robots have no mouths. The silver one, Thomas, has a vox processor, but he can't speak. From what I've seen they can only 'show' how they're feeling on their screens, but that is so restrictive. It's going to drive them insane."


	2. The Error

**Log 8:**  
  
Bangalter and Christo were unreachable today. So, I spoke to Julie De La Fontaine again about how well the robotic limbs were going. Julie lead me to her computer and showed me the walk cycle, the 3D theory and the bodies themselves walking whilst controlled by Julie herself. While I found the walking to be incredible, she said that there are some little problems that need to be fixed. She explained to me physics and the rest of the science behind the movements, but with my limited understanding on the matter, I forgot most of it.  
  
I remembered Adele's explanation on the robots' emotional capacities, and Markus Janke's theory on suffering, and this made me wonder if the robots would be able to feel physical pain. So, I asked Julie this.  
  
"Oh no, not at all," Julie explained, "The robots won't have pain receptors, though their hands will have some receptors for touch, so they can literally grasp the world around them and perceive it. If a portion of their hand were to break, for instance, they wouldn't register the sensation as pain. They will know something is wrong, but they won't be able to feel physical agony."  
  
This of course made me wonder if "knowing something is wrong" would result in emotional agony, which again made me remember what Markus said, and I'm starting to see the flaws in this Project that the team is failing to realize as a whole.  
  
  
 **Log 9:**  
  
Dr. Bangalter says that the Project is struggling with money. He has taken out numerous loans and has paid off very few. I found that interesting, that they don't have nearly enough money to go through with the Project, but are going through with it anyway.  
  
I spoke with Adele again about the robots' minds and asked her details on Christo's robot, Guy-Manuel. She explained that this one is the more difficult robot since he has a heart component. She told me that she had created numerous artificial intelligence units before, but never one as difficult as Guy-Manuel's. She had gone through numerous failed attempts and said that the one she was working on now just had to be the one.  
  
Adele proudly spoke of the musical composition component of the project, boasting that the engineers she hand picked for the project were geniuses of music and science alike. Interestingly enough, Adele told me that giving the robots knowledge on music and composition was easy.  
  
"All they need to know is how to read notes and symbols and count beats," she explained, "Throw in some Mozart here, some rock n' roll there, a little bit of everything and you have a computer that knows music. All they have now is their imaginations. What they make will be up to them."  
  
Adele and her team in the artificial intelligence sector are under heavy stress to achieve what Christo envisions, but Adele seems to know what she is doing.  
  
She also told me what sort of talents the doctors have envisioned for their robots, that Thomas is going to play the piano and Guy-Manuel will play the guitar.  
  
"They have to have some sort of specialty, I suppose," she explained, "Something for them to do when they aren't composing." She laughed before saying her next statement, "You would think that Dr. Christo is the one who is going to be hard on his robot, but I don't think he will. Dr. Bangalter already feels so fatherly to his robot, so this makes me think he is going to make Thomas practice that piano to no tomorrow."  
  
  
 **Log 10:**  
  
Next week, Thomas will be activated for tests. Bangalter cannot contain his excitement, but he is also nervous. He is scared for the robot he holds dear to him like a son. He has checked and double-checked and triple-checked the building and tweaking of his unit and he is still worried something may go wrong.  
  
Christo seems more nervous that Bangalter; he says that Thomas isn't ready, but Bangalter insists he is. Christo seems more level-headed than Bangalter, as he would rather wait for his robot to be 150% ready before activation. I will make sure I am there to witness the results of Thomas' activation.  
  
  
 **Log 11:**  
  
Just as Christo thought, the activation was a disaster.  
  
Admittedly, Thomas looked remarkable put together. He stood in isolation in a little room, with a cable in his neck, motionless. We watched him from behind a glass in the room adjacent to his.  
  
The engineers checked him over for about an hour before the announced that they were going to activate the robot. The room immediately went silent.  
  
With a loud jolt, Thomas' body twitched and he lifted his head. Bangalter spoke to him through a microphone, "Thomas Bangalter, can you hear me?".  
  
Thomas simply stared at the glass without a sign of hearing Dr. Bangalter. He spoke to the robot again, "Thomas, do you hear my voice? Acknowledge my voice".  
  
That was when we knew something was wrong. Thomas found his voice, the voice designed for singing. He produced some strange sounds, but grew silent right after. I suppose he realized that he wasn't meant to speak. Then, the screen on his head lit up, red letters appeared on his screen spelling out, "I WANT TO DIE".  
  
The doctor couldn't find a response for his robot; I could see it on his face that he was struggling to find his words.  
  
Thomas stared at the observation glass, the words "I WANT TO DIE" still on his screen. He looked so pitiful with that expressionless face. I almost felt sorry for Thomas.  
  
Suddenly, Thomas rushed forward, the cord snapping from his neck, as he then started banging on the window. Distorted red lights replaced the words on his communication strip. Bangalter started screaming for people to shut the robot down, and people rushed to and fro as the glass began to crack.  
  
Jean Richard was the first to rush into Thomas' room. Thomas noticed this and rushed for Jean, seizing his neck in a vice grip. People struggled to remove Thomas' hands from Jean's throat. It was then that I stepped out of the observation room and went to get a better look at the disaster unfolding before us. Jean's eyes began to roll back and he seemed as though he was about lose consciousness. It was then that someone finally managed to reattach the cable into Thomas' neck and the person behind the controls was able to shut him down.  
  
Jean, now unconscious, was rushed to a hospital and Thomas was moved into suspension. Dr. Bangalter told me to leave immediately.  
  
  
 **Log 12:**  
  
I have finally been allowed back into the lab after nearly two months.  
The updates are as follows:  
  
Jean Richard is still in intensive care after suffering some brain damage from Thomas' choke hold. The doctors say that his neck would have broken if held like that for a second longer. Thomas remains in suspension under Adele's supervision. Bangalter has been spending a lot of time with Adele since the incident, rethinking the capacity of feelings the robots can handle.  
  
Since I figured Bangalter is still emotionally distraught, I spoke to Christo today.  
  
"Serves him right," Christo told me, "I told him Thomas' activation was too early, that Lachance hadn't perfected the brain yet, but he insisted that Thomas was ready and look where he is now."  
  
Christo told me that he was fine if he had to wait a decade for Guy-Manuel to be ready, so long as the disaster that unfolded two months before was preventable.  
  
I spoke with Adele after this about the disaster and her thoughts. She expressed her disappointment in not only her team, but herself for allowing something like that to happen. She figured she made their emotional capacity too large and would have to reduce it, even though Bangalter insisted she reduced it as little as she could. She worried that if the robot designed for thinking could feel such violent emotions, then Guy-Manuel, the robot designed to feel, would be much more violent. She and her team are doing the best they can to come up with some helpful ideas that will prevent another disaster.  
  
I found Markus Janke, the engineer who insisted that the artificial intelligence sector was making a mistake. I asked him for his thoughts, and he was more than willing to offer them: "I told you, didn't I? I told you that it was a bad idea, and now look at what they did. We lost a team member because of their stupidity. I'd like to see how they're going to fix this mess. Making robots that can feel a lot but can't speak has resulted in a suicidal robot. He wasn't even awake for long and he knew it wasn't right!"  
  
Before I left the lab today, I chanced upon Bangalter going into Adele's lab when she wasn't inside. He found Thomas shut down against a wall. I saw Dr. Bangalter touching Thomas' expressionless face, and then Dr. Bangalter started to cry.  
  
  
 **Log 13:**  
  
Adele told me that Guy-Manuel is near completion and that she and her team believe they have fixed Thomas.  
  
She explained to me that she had to place some limiters on their emotional components. "We don't need murderous robots now do we?" was her explanation when I asked her why she chose that method.  
  
Christo has examined each department's work and told me he will decide soon enough when Guy-Manuel will be activated for further testing. Christo's view on Thomas' failure now was an interesting one: "At least now I know what would have happened and what we must now avoid."  
  
I chanced upon Julie De La Fontaine today and asked her what she thought about the Project after Thomas' incident. "I'm scared now," she told me, "I'm scared and disappointed. I can't believe how strong we made him, strong enough to nearly kill a man. The artificial intelligence sector claims to have fixed him up, but what if something happens and he tries to break someone else's neck?"


	3. The Awakening

**Log 14:**  
  
Bangalter and Christo have limited my interaction with the team up until this point, the day they call the dual activation day.  
  
Adele insisted that for safety measures, the robots be activated at two separate times. Bangalter was eager to see if his unit had improved this time and insisted that Thomas go first. All of us, even myself, felt sick to our stomachs, I'm sure, when Thomas was brought in.  
  
This time around, when Thomas "woke up", he seemed more gentle. Bangalter spoke to him again, "Thomas Bangalter, can you hear my voice?"  
  
I held my breath, hoping that this time around, he wouldn't act out. Luckily, Thomas looked in the direction of the glass and nodded as the word "YES" appeared on his screen. Everyone, including the doctor, breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"Thomas, what do you do?" asked the doctor. After a moment, the word "MUSIC" appeared on his face. All seemed to be going well.  
  
"Thomas, walk," the doctor ordered. Thomas took slow, ginger steps, as if getting used to the body he was not aware he had already walked in, and nearly killed someone in. I could hear those in the robotic limbs department whispering excitedly to each other at how smooth his walk cycle was, and even I was impressed.  
  
"Thomas, how do you feel?" the doctor asked, and I think everyone held their breath at this question.  
  
Thomas cocked his head for a moment, then looked back to the glass as the word "ALIVE" appeared on his communication strip.  
  
The engineers were apprehensive of Thomas and seemed too scared to walk near him, but I dared to step closer to see him in action as he stepped out of the chamber. Thomas is much taller in person, and he moves so perfectly it's hard to believe he's a robot. Our gazes met briefly, but he was lead away to another chamber where the engineers said he would be staying in for further testing. I now feel a strange sort of pity for Thomas.  
  
Next was Guy-Manuel's activation. I think the tension in the air grew thicker, because no one had any idea on what to expect from Christo's robot. Would he act out violently like Thomas did on his first activation, especially since he was the robot with a "heart"? Christo insisted that Guy-Manuel was ready, much readier than Thomas was on his first activation.  
  
I could see that Adele was ready to break; she seemed relieved that her team succeeded in fixing Thomas, but she was uncertain as to how Guy-Manuel would behave.  
  
I even felt sick to my stomach as Guy-Manuel lifted his head and started flexing his hands. Christo approached the microphone. "Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, can you hear me?"  
  
Guy-Manuel looked around curiously before answering Christo with an image of a red checkmark on his face.  
  
Christo ordered Guy-Manuel to walk, and Guy-Manuel seemed more confident in his body than Thomas was. Christo asked Guy-Manuel how he was feeling, and his face displayed two dots and a slanted line, like a confused emote. We reckoned Guy-Manuel was confused. Adele laughed nervously and said, "Maybe he's confused because he's been awoken from a sort of sleep, like how we get confused when we awake from a nap."  
  
Guy-Manuel was also escorted out of the room. Again, I wanted a closer look at the robot and went to see him. Guy-Manuel was shorter than Thomas; he also seemed more curious, as he was looking around a lot. He even looked at me; I waved at Guy-Manuel and he simply raised a hand.  
  
Bangalter seemed happy and relieved, but Christo only had to say, "See why you should have waited?"  
  
  
  
 **Log 15:**  
  
I've had the liberty of watching some of the tests that the robots are undergoing. It's interesting seeing two things that resemble grown men being treated like children. Today, I saw Guy-Man (as it seems he prefers to be called) being tested on his ability to read, while Thomas was being tested with flashcards to name the images he saw, though I noticed that most of the cards were pictures of faces, emotions. It was clear that the engineers were still wary of him.  
  
Bangalter is curious as to see how the robots will interact with each other, but again, the level-headed Christo insists that they need to be individually tested first.  
  
I stepped into the observation room of Thomas' testing chamber. The person testing him would display a card and Thomas would have to display the word for the image. I asked one of the other observers in the room what this had to do with music. They said that in order to ensure that the robots were ready to produce music, they had to be cognitively fit, and that these tests would run for as long as it took to make sure that the robots were smart enough.  
  
I asked what they would do if the robots weren't smart enough. The response I got was, "It won't be hard to take their heads off and fix them up a little."  
  
  
 **Log 16:**  
  
It's pretty obvious already, to me anyway, that the robots are smart enough. They can read, they can write legibly, they're fluent in both French and English, they know their names, they recognize themselves when placed in front of a mirror, they can read music (Thomas can produce notes well), they recognize others, and they can hold things without crushing them. But the engineers insist that this testing is still necessary and won't be finished any time soon.  
  
  
 **Log 17 :**  
  
Today was the day the robots were introduced to each other. When they first saw each other, they seemed unsure on what to do, as they just stared without a word. Xavier Shulz, the one overseeing this test, instructed them to say hello to each other. They did just that; they waved and displayed "HELLO" on their screens.  
  
The robots were told they would be connected so they could share a bond, something that would be essential for both of them.  
  
They went through their first brainwave share via cable. I watched them sit there for a few silent seconds when suddenly, the both of them seemed really excited.  
  
Thomas' and Guy-Man's faces lit up with red exclamation marks; I assumed that was a sign they had made a connection, because right after, they stared at each other for a long time, a heart appearing on Guy-Man's face and the word "AMAZING" on Thomas' later.  
  
Before I left the chamber, I did notice an image of a smile on Guy-Man's face and Thomas' face read "FRIEND".  
  
  
 **Log 18:**  
  
The connection the robots shared has stuck with me for the past few weeks I've been away from the lab. They can't speak to each other verbally, but through a cable, they were able to share a connection deep enough that they already called each other friends. Or maybe it's easier for two robots to relate to one another than it is to all the humans they have been forced to be around.  
  
Today, I got lucky enough to speak with Thomas myself. The engineers told me to be wary and defend myself if necessary. I wasn't scared until I approached him and sat before him. Thomas stared at me with that expressionless gaze. I introduced myself to Thomas and extended a hand out to him. He seemed confused, with his head cocked. I told him to shake my hand, and that's when he seized my hand in both of his and vigorously shook mine. His grip was so cold and firm; It made me a little sick, remembering that his grip was actually strong enough to snap a human being's neck, and it was those two hands that ruined Jean Richard's life.  
  
I asked Thomas simple questions, like how he was liking the lab and how he was feeling lately. He answered each question with few words, saying that the lab was "FINE" and that he was feeling "BORED" today. I asked Thomas about Guy-Man, and what he thought of him. The first word that came up, and I should have expected it, was "FRIEND".  
  
I asked Thomas why Guy-Man was his friend. His response was longer this time, and it took a few moments for his entire thought to come through. "GUY-MAN IS SPECIAL", "GUY-MAN KNOWS MUSIC", "I FEEL CLOSE TO GUY-MAN", "BEFORE GUY-MAN AND I CONNECTED", "I FELT HALF-EMPTY", "GUY-MAN COMPLETES ME", "WE ARE FRIENDS".  
  
Interesting, I thought, that through a cable he was able to tell that the other robot was designed for music; not only that, but Thomas already felt so close to Guy-Man, and felt incomplete before their first brainwave share. So, I asked Thomas about Guy-Man's brainwaves and what he thought of them. That's when Thomas responded with something I wasn't sure robots could comprehend: "BEAUTIFUL".  



	4. The Music

**Log 19:**  
  
Today was the first day I heard Thomas play the piano.  
  
He was given a basic electric keyboard. Bangalter stood behind him, observant, as he presented his robot with various sheets of music.  
  
"I've been giving him easy tasks to start with," Bangalter explained, as Thomas played out Beethoven's "Für Elise", "Well, I wouldn't be able to play that, but he's a robot. His mind works a lot faster than ours does. Look at his fingers work. Look at him. Like a human being, his optics read the note, his mind processes it, it sends a message to his fingers, and he plays accordingly. You see, it's like us, how we see something and our brains process it and send a message to our fingers, but imagine that process ten times faster. Perhaps a hundred times faster. Would you believe it was Thomas' first time playing this song?"  
  
He was right, I couldn't believe it was Thomas' first time, especially when the song picked up pace and his fingers worked so flawlessly. Then I realized his use of the past tense.  
  
Bangalter would only continue to surprise me when he asked, "Would you also believe he's been playing that song for the past hour?"  
  
I could not. His use of the past tense made sense to me then, at least. Bangalter continued, "A robot can't grow tired. Well, he will lose energy eventually, but his reserve power can last up to a total of seventy-two hours right now, and we are hoping to improve that in the future. But that means right now he can stay awake for seventy-two hours. I actually had him play different songs on that piano all through the night, and he has been playing for fifteen hours now. Since he can stay awake longer that human beings, work harder than human beings, and process things faster than human beings, he's going to play that piano until he masters the keys."  
  
He told me that he decided to spend the night with Thomas as he played, that he fell asleep to the music. He told me he awoke to Thomas patting his cheek, and Bangalter reckoned Thomas was making sure he was okay.  
  
"I told him to keep playing," Bangalter continued, "That I could hear the music in my dreams and it was beautiful."  
  
Hearing that made me think about the humanity Thomas had in him, that Guy-Man probably had as well. It also reminded me that Bangalter sees Thomas as more than just a computer, despite tasking him with work like a computer.  
  
Bangalter shuffled through a folder of papers and retrieved a sheet of music. He showed it to me, the most complicated sheet of music I had ever seen in my life. It looked more like a mess than music.  
  
"It's called 'The Death Waltz'," he explained, "It's actually quite amazing when you hear it played. I would love to witness my Thomas play this. I think he will be able to in due time."  
  
I asked him how Guy-Man was doing, since Christo had wanted him to play the guitar.  
  
"He's caught on fast," Bangalter said, "Dr. Christo is a bit easier on Guy-Manuel than I am on Thomas, but you should definitely see for yourself when you get the chance."  
  
Bangalter insisted I stay and listen to Thomas longer, however. So, I did. Bangalter said that he couldn't wait to hear what sort of music Thomas would write. He said the day would come soon, but for now, Thomas and Guy-Man would have to practice until their hands fell apart.

 **Log 20:**  
  
Today was the first time in weeks I have been allowed back into the lab. I was greeted by the sound of an electric guitar in the distance and discovered Guy-Man was the source of the music. Thomas was seated beside him, watching as Guy-Man played "Burning Of The Midnight Lamp" by Jimi Hendrix. I couldn't take my eyes off Guy-Man's golden fingers touching the strings and strumming that guitar with such ease, like he knew he was programmed for playing that guitar, that music was in his code. I thought on what Bangalter told me, on how the robots' sense of perception and processing was probably a hundred times faster than ours, and it made me wonder if that was why Thomas and Guy-Man learned to play their instruments so fast.  
  
I saw Thomas tapping his hand on his lap and nodding his head to the beat. It made me smile to see an act so human in a robot. His face even displayed a moving image of audio bars, in tune with the music. I reflected back on Natascha Nabokov's concern with the robots being happy, and in that moment I didn't doubt that Thomas and Guy-Man were happy.  
  
Dr. Christo and a few other team members were present when Guy-Man finished his song, and they all applauded him, including Thomas. Guy-Man simply nodded at the applauding crowd and offered them a "THANK YOU" on his face.  
  
After Dr. Christo ordered Guy-Man to play another song, he turned to me and said, "I think I'd like to see them play a duet soon."  
  
  
 **Log 21:**  
  
A month later, I was able to bear witness to what Christo called, "An exercise in harmony", which was simply Guy-Man and Thomas playing songs together.  
  
There was something saddening about watching them play "The Sound Of Silence". I don't know if it was the lack of expression on their faces, but something was saddening about it. I saw I wasn't the only one, when I saw Ms. Nabokov herself start crying. The mood lifted slightly when they started playing Paul McCartney's "Blackbird".  
  
During this song, I studied their bodies. They were not connected by any sort of cable. They just sat at their places, Thomas focused on the keys and Guy-Man on the strings. They moved with the precision of machines, striking each note right on time without a flaw. And yet, they didn't seem like machines. Guy-Man's foot was tapping to a beat and Thomas swayed his body in a way that made it seem like he was really into the music. Every now and then, they would even catch each other's glance and nod. It was when I first caught them glancing at each other, moving their bodies to the beat, that I understood why Christo called this an exercise in harmony. What I was witnessing, the connection between the two robots while they played, that itself was true harmony.  
  
They played a few other songs that I now can't recall. The small performance was well received, and they humbly thanked everyone for their applause. I even personally congratulated them and patted them on the back.  
  
When the crowd died down, Bangalter approached me and asked if I wanted to see something truly amazing. He handed Thomas a sheet of music that I saw was "Flight Of The Bumblebee". He told Guy-Man to do what he could to keep up.  
  
I thought it was strange that Thomas was provided with sheet music while Guy-Man was told to improvise, but I realized a moment later that Bangalter was trying to further test their harmony.  
  
The speed in which Thomas' fingers worked and how he did not miss a single note quite literally took my breath away. His fingers pressed each key so fast I could barely keep up with him. Guy-Man would only push my amazement further. I caught him counting a beat with his finger. He pondered for a moment before he also started moving his fingers in a lighting pace over the strings of his guitar. Bangalter started cheering loudly, telling them, "More! More! Keep playing! Don't stop!" and urged them to repeat the song twice more.  
  
Before I knew it, the third play through was over. I wish I could fully document what I had witnessed. I wish I could find the words to tell you the level of skill these two robots have already mastered in their short period of being awake and touching both instruments. All I can tell you is that they are incredibly fast learners. Bangalter was right in saying that their minds process things a hundred times faster than the human mind. Their bodies work almost as quickly as their minds, as demonstrated by their ability to play a song that humans sometimes take years to master. And when it comes to the harmonic bond shared between Guy-Man and Thomas, that harmony is so strong they didn't need to be physically connected to play a difficult song. So, in saying that, I believe I can prove to you that the doctors' work is proving to be successful as of now.  
  
  
 **Log 22:**  
  
I arrived late today, so I wasn't able to witness much testing or speak to many, but I did approach the doctors when I saw how concerned they seemed.  
  
Christo told me that the robots are doubting themselves, that they have ideas and have tried getting them out on the piano and guitar, but don't think it's working.  
  
"They told us that it's not working with their ideas," Christo explained, "They have ideas, but the guitar and piano don't sound right. We talked to them about other kinds of instruments, but they don't seem to want to work with them. Unbelievable, even after they played so well together, they don't think the piano and guitar will work."  
  
I asked if they had made it clear what they want to work with, what other tools they would need.  
  
Bangalter found a piece of paper and began reading off of it, "A sampler, a synthesizer . . . things to make electronic music."

 **Log 23:**  
  
Xavier Shulz expressed his thoughts on the robots desire for producing electronic music.  
  
"Why is that a problem? They're robots. Their minds are digital, so of course they want to channel their ideas in a digital fashion. They don't hate the guitar or piano, not at all. They just have bigger ideas."  
  
It seems it didn't take long for Bangalter and Christo to acknowledge these "bigger ideas" and have already acquired some of the tools the robots have requested.  
  
Xavier Shulz told me they were put to work right away, to experiment and see what they could do with these tools.  
  
"I think they will do great," he told me, "I think the musical composition area is going to be very proud of themselves in a few years after hearing what the robots will make. Even Dr. Christo and Dr. Bangalter are starting to realize there's no need to fret. There are so many wonderful things about these two that I have already witnessed. They have already pushed the limits of technology in just being here. They redefined what we thought was possible. They are redefining harmony and friendship. I think it won't be long until they redefine 'music'."


	5. The Child

**Log 24 :**   
  
Some interesting tests happened today with the robots. Today, Julie De La Fontaine brought her daughter Clémentine and her cat Zoé to the lab to interact with the robots. Since physical tests have determined that the robots are now aware of their own strength and can hold things without breaking them, Christo concluded that it would be safe for the robots to interact with both the child and the cat.  
  
The robots handled the cat first, and I witnessed this through the glass of an observation room. Guy-Man seemed more interested in playing with the cat, as he held Zoé, brought their faces together, and let her stand on his shoulders. Thomas didn't seem to want to touch the cat, but he was curious about it. While the cat stood on Guy-Man's shoulders, Thomas brought his face near the cat to get a closer look at it. Zoé inched closer to Thomas and rubbed her cheek on his head, right across his communication strip. Thomas patted this part of his face as Guy-Man then let the cat jump in his lap and continued to play with it.  
  
It would seem strange for a child to be allowed into the lab, but the doctors said it would be okay, just this once, considering Clémentine is only four years old and while she would be fascinated by the robots, she wouldn't be a threat to the Project. There was much more protection in the room with Clémentine  around; a few other team members and Julie stood inside the room. Clémentine  sat the robots down and asked them a lot of questions that they had a hard time keeping up with; simple things, however, such as, "What are your names?", "What's your favourite colour?", "Are you best friends?", "Do you eat?", "Do robots sleep?", and even silly questions like, "Do you go to school?", "Do robots go to the bathroom?", and "Do you watch T.V.?"  
  
Since Clémentine  could barely read, Julie told her what the robots were saying to her, in which Clémentine looked to the robots and said, "You two don't talk much, but that's okay."  
  
It was interesting to see how the robots handled being around a child. They were obviously confused, but still handled Clémentine well. Even when she grabbed their hands and asked them to join their hands and sing with her, they did so, at least Thomas tried to sing. Julie told her daughter he didn't know the words to "You Are My Sunshine", but Clémentine told her mother she'd teach him and Thomas tried his best to sing it. It made us all laugh. Even Clémentine giggled and told him, "You sound funny."  
  
She found their faces fascinating, particularly the lights. She asked the robots if she could touch their faces and giggled as Guy-Man's strips of rainbow lights came on. She cooed and smiled and kept saying how pretty Guy-Man is. She asked Thomas if he could do the same, and Thomas did, illuminating his rainbow lights and creating imagery on his screen. Clémentine laughed and smiled and kept telling the robots that they are pretty.  
  
Clémentine then threw her arms around Guy-Man and asked him to hug her. He returned the hug, but looked to Thomas, and Thomas shrugged. She then reached out an arm and asked Thomas to join them for a group hug. She held the both of them for a while and seemed happy with them. Julie and the others smiled, and I'm sure they thought this sight was adorable.  
  
Clémentine bid the robots farewell when her time was up. She told her mother she liked the robots a lot. Then she asked Julie, "Are Thomas and Guy-Man boys or girls?" Julie told her daughter that Thomas and Guillaume Emmanuel are "boy names", but her daughter asked again anyway, saying, "They're robots. Are robots boys or girls?"  
  
So, after Julie escorted Clémentine and their cat out of the lab, I asked the robots this question. I asked them, "What are you?". After a moment of silence, both Guy-Man and Thomas displayed the word, "ROBOT".  
  



	6. The Question

**Log 25:**  
  
The unity between the robots, it seems, has grown significantly.  
  
I was told by one of their caretakers, Sarita Singh, that they go everywhere together and now even share a room. She told me, "It has become very rare around here to not see them together. Because of this, a lot of their testing lately has been done with the both of them together. I think this bond is a very good thing."  
  
I got a moment with Guy-Man today and asked him about Thomas and how close he feels to him.  
  
Guy-Man's answer took a while to deliver, but he collectively said this: "I FEEL LIKE THOMAS WAS MADE JUST FOR ME. THOMAS COMPLETES ME. THOMAS MAKES ME HAPPY. MUSIC SOUNDS BETTER WITH THOMAS."  
  
I asked Christo and Bangalter about their bond strengthening, and as to be expected, they are elated. It seems that Bangalter could use the elation, because today Jean Richard was released from the hospital and the doctors said he won't be the same again. Bangalter is ridden with guilt, which he only shows a little, but he tried to mask it with how happy he is with the Project's progression.  
  
Before I left today, I caught Bangalter speaking to the robots. He spoke warmly to them, his hands on their shoulders and staring directly into their screens as if they had eyes. He was telling them that their friendship was vital to their music, that a symphony could only be made with unity and harmony, and harmony was something that they definitely had. He also spoke about how their special components would benefit the music.  
  
"Thomas," he said, "You will be the brains behind the music, and Guy-Manuel you will be the one who puts heart into the music. Use these gifts, for they are what make you human. They are what make you alive." [*](http://chezgorman.tumblr.com/post/77006921039/so-you-know-how-in-the-daft-punk-schematics-it)  
  
  
 **Log 26:**  
  
I was lucky enough to be one of the few people allowed to listen to some of the music the robots were producing. I myself am not very familiar with music of a digital nature, but the listening experience today was interesting and enlightening. Various team members described their music for me as the following: "techno", "garage", "EDM", "house".  
  
Bangalter, as expected, was excited; He said that theirs was a kind of music no one had ever done before and that people just had to like it. Christo was excited too in his own way, as I caught him muttering, "We're on our way to making so very much money..."  
  
  
 **Log 27:**  
  
Tomorrow, after nearly four months of work, representatives from the label are coming for a showing. The doctors sent them a "demo" of the robots' music, and they received a message back a week later saying the representatives will come for a meeting. The doctors are going to have to speak in front of the board of representatives about their project and how the robots can make them money.  
  
Bangalter is the nervous one, worried at how the robots are going to handle people and the words they are presenting to the agency tomorrow. Christo seems to have mixed feelings; he told me he thinks the robots can handle other human beings well, but he's not sure how they will take inspection, criticism, and possibly rejection. Hearing him say this reminded me that while Guy-Man and Thomas were designed to be like humans, they haven't been alive for long and still have a lot of learning to do on concepts such as criticism and rejection.  
  
Luckily, I will be present at the meeting tomorrow. I will be able to see and hear it all.  
  
  
 **Log 28:**  
  
Today's results depend on perception, I suppose.  
  
Sarita had dressed the robots in semi-formal clothing. They seemed uncomfortable in the clothes, standing stiffer than usual. I suppose the robots are more used to their simple shirt and pants, and sometimes nakedness in the lab, and having to wear clothes to make them presentable is awkward. Professionalism, it seems, is another concept the robots still have to learn.  
  
The doctors presented the robots to a committee of people representing the agency. I could see the thoughts on their faces: confusion, apprehension, and I think I detected disgust in one face.  
  
Bangalter explained the robots' design, their mindsets, the brainwave sharing, Thomas' singing, and lots of there stuff pertaining to the science that went into them. I even caught him mention a word I never heard him say before: "Ghost file". The word simply came out of his mouth when talking about the design of the robots' "brains". I have made note to ask either the doctors, Adele, or Xavier what this means.  
  
"What are their names?" the president of the agency asked.  
  
Christo introduced them by their names, which made the president laugh in mockery. "So, what? They're your sons now? Thomas Bangalter and, what was that? Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo? They're computers, not people.  
  
I could see the doctors swallowing their shame as they went on to ask what they thought of the music they had submitted to the agency.  
  
"Sounds like a lot of trash to me," the vice president said, "All computers and no talent. I could make my voice sound like that that thing's," he pointed at the Thomas , "And press some buttons and call it music."  
  
Thomas turned to the vice president, words appearing on his head, "TRY IT THEN".  
  
"Look's like you didn't program your mechanical pets to have manners," the president said.  
  
The doctors fought what seemed like a hopeless battle against the committee, arguing that they were capable of producing masterpieces and that all they needed was a chance.  
  
The president shouted that Bangalter and Christo had sunk millions of dollars down the drain to produce these useless contraptions that made garbage for music, but the doctors continued to plead. The robots seemed distressed, as Guy-Man displayed a rather distraught looking expression on his face and Thomas' face read, "WHAT'S GOING ON?".  
  
In the end, the president relented. "Listen here, you've spend so much god damn money on this project, you may as well continue and make us some money back so these two things aren't complete failures. But here's the deal: they're going to be hidden. You hear me? Hidden! No one out there is going to know what these things are. They'll make the music, we'll release it, and they won't ever appear in public, not in interviews, television, nothing, and neither will the two of you. They're going to be a god damn secret as long as I want them to be."  
  
So, there you have it. The robots are allowed to serve their agency on the condition that they stay hidden. They are to become the agency's secret.  
  
A few hours later, I expressed my sincerest apologies to the doctors, but Bangalter simply smiled.  
  
Before I took my leave, Bangalter told me an interesting story.  
  
"A few years ago, we knew some people, friends of Dr. Christo and I, who had made a band. If I remember correctly, their band was called Darlin'. They sure did love the Beach Boys. They tried very hard to get their music well known so they could be a big name. After releasing a single, they were given a very negative review, saying they sounded like a bunch of 'daft punky trash'. They simply laughed and framed that negative review on their wall. They split apart after a few years, all of them now living their own lives, but still laugh about being called 'daft punky trash'. Now, I think I can use negativity to fight negativity. 'Daft punky trash' . . . That's the name we'll give our robots. We'll call them 'Daft Punk'."  
  
  
 **Log 29:**  
  
The robots are working harder than ever. I did get in contact with Adele recently and asked her about how she felt about the robots becoming friends and if it made any sense to her. She hypothesized that through sharing brainwaves, they are able to get to know each other and connect on a basis deeper than human beings will ever know.  
  
It was interesting to hear Adele's technical outlook on the friendship. It made sense to me since both Guy-Man and Thomas expressed that they felt they were made for each other, of which they were. Even they knew that they were built for making music in unity. After all, they are robots. What else is there to know about each other?

I told Adele that I heard Bangalter mention the word "Ghost file" in the meeting, and I asked her what this meant. Adele simply furrowed her brows and her face seemed to express bitterness. She turned her head from me and I heard her mutter something like, "Shouldn't have said that." She then told me, "That topic is not for discussion with the likes of you."

With a response like that, I know that I must investigate further on my own terms to find out what "Ghost file" means.  
  
I caught Thomas alone and decided to ask him how he was feeling about what had happened with the meeting. He told me, "IT DIDN'T GO WELL", "BUT MAYBE WE'LL BE OKAY".  
  
It was good to see Thomas felt somewhat positive about the pitch. I wondered how Guy-Man felt about it and have made a note to ask him when I can.  
  
I asked Thomas how he and Guy-Man liked their new name, Daft Punk. Thomas took a moment to find his answer: "IT'S FINE", "IT'S DIFFERENT", "BUT WHAT'S A DAFT PUNK?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The passage ending with an asterisk in this work was used with permission from the artist of this piece.  
> http://chezgorman.tumblr.com/post/77006921039/so-you-know-how-in-the-daft-punk-schematics-it


	7. The Discovery

**Log 30:**  
  
Tonight, I infiltrated the office of Adele Lachance.

Adele was quite occupied in Project matters with her assistant Xavier. I took this as an opportunity to sneak inside and peer at her various notes, in an attempt to discover the meaning behind the word "Ghost file".

Her desk was cluttered, and as a result it took me quite a while to find anything worthwhile. I noticed various papers (to-do lists, memos from Christo and Bangalter, and useless junk like coffee orders) and an incident report log (I noted the Jean Richard incident being the only robot inflicted casualty the Project has faced).

After much searching, a single passage in her project outline notes seemed to give me some information on what a "Ghost file" is. That is at least all I could find before I realized that I was running out of time.

The passage states the following:

" [ . . .] The most critical component to the units have been placed. The Ghost File of TB3 (FANTOME_TB3.GF) can be found in Chamber 1 of his brain. The Ghost file of GM08 (FANTOME_GM08.GF) is located in his central output capacitor, the part Dr. Christo has titled "the heart". By placing the Ghost File of GM08 in the central output capacitor, GM08 will be more influenced to learn the expressiveness of feelings better, as the heart was designed specifically for the output of feelings. By placing the Ghost File of TB3 in Chamber 1 of the brain, TB3 will be more influenced to learn the expressiveness of logic better. However, TB3 will still be influenced by emotional output, as the file is located in Chamber 1, which acts as both the frontal and temporal lobe of the brain would for humans. In Chamber 1, TB3 will not only store the things he learns, but will also store memories, process emotions, and derive meaning. For TB3, it only makes sense for his Ghost File to be located in a chamber that allows it to grow.

For GM08, his heart acts primarily as TB3's Chamber 1. GM08 has a completely different design from TB3 in the sense that his head isn't built entirely for his central intelligence and output like TB3's. By isolating the unit that would act as the temporal lobe for humans, Dr. Christo believes that GM08 will be more aware of his feelings. It is for this reason that his Ghost File must grow where his emotions will be processed."

Attached to the passage were these two pictures.

**Log 31:**  
  
It has been four months since I last spoke to Bangalter, Christo, and the robots. They apologized humbly about their lack of communication, and explained that Daft Punk has been hard at work. The agency is tasking them with more work than they thought possible. According to Christo, the agency has recently gotten on board with the idea of Daft Punk since they're robots.

"Robots don't get drunk and crash a car. They don't go to jail or rehab. Robots can't have sex. Basically, they're controlled celebrities and that is a plus on their side", Christo explained, "Get this, they said the only thing they have to worry about is the Thomas-bot showing 'sass' like he did at the pitch. Can you believe they think his words are bad? If only they knew Thomas almost killed a person."  
  
However, the robots are still to remain a secret. As far as the public knows, the music is made by two men who wish to keep their faces hidden. So, it's not exactly what Christo and Bangalter seemed to have in mind, but Bangalter is confident that in a few years, Thomas and Guy-Man will show their faces in public.  
  
  
Maybe this truly is a genius idea, considering all the agency has realized, though they won't admit that they were wrong and refuse to apologize to the doctors. The doctors don't seem to care. As Bangalter said after the meeting, it's going to be a slap in the face to the agency when Daft Punk succeeds.  
  
  
**Log  32:**  
  
I have taken your advice and for the time being I will consult with the engineers in charge of the project to gather information, as that the doctors are practically unreachable.  
  
Adele directed me to her assistant, Xavier Shulz, to speak on the robots' "mental" well being and the Project itself.  
  
Xavier shared the following thoughts with me: "I think their music is going to be a hit. I sometimes find myself humming to 'Da Funk'. My personal favorite is 'Revolution 909'. They're something else! I've never heard anything quite like this! I must say the doctors certainly have vision, though it is my team and I that pride ourselves in helping to make their minds [ . . . ] Their minds? Well, the brainwave shares are wonderful. They seem to have forged a deep connection, as they practically go everywhere together and call each other friends. I had a colleague express her worries about their public showing, if they ever have one I mean. She says that with Thomas having a 'brain', he's bound to do nothing but worry, and with Guy-Manuel having a 'heart', he's bound to have nothing but heartbreak."[*](http://keitheaverage.tumblr.com/post/76827980800/maybe-being-human-isnt-all-its-cracked-up-to)  
  
I proceeded to ask about their emotional capacities after that statement, remembering that Adele said she had limiters placed in them.  
  
Xavier responded with, "Limiters? Oh no, they're not limiters. They're dampeners, which I suppose is the same thing. Basically, we can't fully get rid of their negative feelings since Dr. Bangalter and Dr. Christo wanted them to feel a lot. We're worried that if we remove their abilities to feel sadness and other negativity, they won't understand happiness. So, what Ms. Adele did was place dampeners on their emotional output. So, you see, their malicious and negative feelings are still there, just silenced, more or less."  
  
\------------------------------------------------------  
After this log, the investigation was terminated, seeing as The Dual Robot Symphony Project was not moving forward after the order of secrecy. The agent was to remain out of contact with the doctors, robots, and anyone involved in the Project until the investigation re-opened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The passage ending with an asterisk was inspired by this piece.  
> http://keitheaverage.tumblr.com/post/76827980800/maybe-being-human-isnt-all-its-cracked-up-to
> 
> The story isn't over. Consider this the end of the first part.


	8. INVESTIGATION RE-OPENED: The Return

**INVESTIGATION RE-OPENED**

The following logs take place fifteen years after the termination of the investigation.  
The investigation was reopened upon a very critical change in The Dual Robot Symphony project: the deaths of Dr. Bangalter and Dr. Christo.  
\---------------------------------------------------------  
  
 **Log 1:**  
  
Fifteen years later, I have returned to The Dual Robot Symphony Project. I know I must refrain from documenting my personal feelings, but I must admit I am shocked to hear about the deaths of the doctors. They died in Los Angeles, the city they and the robots were living in since Daft Punk's record label was also located there; it was said they died in a car accident in which they were both killed on impact.  
  
Before I fly down to Los Angeles, where the doctors and Daft Punk were located, I decided to conduct some research on Daft Punk and the laboratory located in Paris, France.  
  
During the past fifteen years, I have thought of nothing else but the Project. It is for this reason that I kept up with as much as I could involving them. The public unveiling, for instance, was something I had to watch and was glad to see that the reception went well, not even really for the doctors or the robots, but to see that my research wasn't a waste of time.  
  
The robots have collaborated with other artists to make music, and the reception is overall very positive; they have chart-topping songs and over two million records sold. But they rarely give interviews, and if you ask me, I find the few interviews I've read to be one-sided. The robots can't talk, so sometimes the answers they give go unnoticed. I wonder how they feel about the fame.  
  
I took my research to the internet to see what online communities have to say about Daft Punk. It's mostly positive thoughts, though some are strange. I saw an anonymous forum user ask if devices can be placed in Thomas' "mouth", and another asked questions of a sexual nature that sparked others to ask questions of that very same nature.  
  
In summary, The Dual Robot Symphony Project is an ultimate success. I do wonder how the robots themselves are taking the fame, though judging from their few interviews, they seem to find it uncomfortable. However, considering this unfortunate turn of events, the robots and scientists involved in the Project are going to have much higher concerns than answering my questions on how the robots are handling the fame.  
  
I did manage to get in touch with the laboratory stationed here in Paris. When I reached the lab via telephone, I was directed to a man named André Dupont. He claimed to be Adele Lachance's personal assistant, which I found to be odd since I remember her assistant being Xavier Shulz. Since my focus was on the robots, I didn't press him on this.

André Dupont informed me that Adele and a few other select representatives of the group have headed to Los Angeles already to get to the home of the doctors, the house they established as their living space and makeshift laboratory for both them and their robots. André explained that Adele's intent is to seek the wills of Dr. Bangalter and Dr. Christo to see if they had a designated person to inherit ownership of the robots. I then received the location of the home and will make my way to Los Angeles as soon as I can. André has relayed a message over to Adele and her crew letting them know that I am coming.  
  
  
 **Log 2:**  
  
Today, I reached the Los Angeles home of the doctors and Daft Punk. I was greeted by Adele and expressed my deepest condolences. She told me that it was nice to see me again after so long, especially because at one point I was so close to the doctors. I found a few other familiar faces and received from them a warm welcome.  
  
I did see the robots again. I was rather astonished to see the improvements in their design. The boxes that were once the robots' power sources were gone; I assumed that the doctors found a better way for them to store power. The flashy coloured lights on Guy-Man's and Thomas' heads were gone; both their screens were completely black. It seemed the doctors' intention was to minimize their robots' appearances.

I also noted their clothes; both robots donned snug fitting black jeans, undone leather jackets, and plain white shirts underneath. They even wore socks on their feet. I recalled the time when they first wore dress clothes and found them to be constricting. I recalled how they had spent their time in the lab either naked or in simple clothes. It seems to me that in fifteen years, the robots have learned more on what it means to be presentable.  
  
I expressed my condolences to the robots. They shook my hands and simply nodded, which I found odd for them to not express anything, not a word or a symbol on their facial screens. They obviously recognized me, but their lack of communication seemed strange to me; I remembered what Xavier told me fifteen years ago about his colleague's worry that Guy-Man is bound to feel heartbreak, so I do wonder why he isn't showing any sign of distress.  
  
As of now, the robots are in no one's care but the lab collectively. The lab representatives are still sorting through the legality of owning the lab and the robots. Virgin Records claims that the robots belong to them now, as Daft Punk is a name that is theirs, but Adele is trying all she can to claim the robots as hers. I suppose that after the doctors heavily implied her vital importance to the project, she feels entitled to the robots.  
  
Adele is under heavy stress with the legality issues, but she also expressed her concerns towards the robots themselves. Apparently, when the robots were told that the doctors had been killed, they didn't say a thing. They simply stood there, no words or images appearing on their screens. They still aren't showing signs of feeling anything.  
  
Adele is worried about their absence of feeling, saying that they should at least feel something, especially Guy-Man having the "heart". Hassan Nadir, one of the scientists that came to L.A. with Adele, told me he thinks the dampeners are too strong, but that he thinks it's a good thing. He says that the robots shouldn't be feeling sad when they have other things to worry about. They have shows to prepare for, though Adele insist on putting them on hold until the robots' legal ownership is decided on.  
  
I managed to get by the engineers and found the robots alone in the doctors' office. Thomas was seated at a desk, his hands folded as he seemed to have his optics focused on an old framed photograph of the doctors. I assumed he was deep in thought. Guy-Man placed a hand on Thomas' shoulder. They stared at each other for a long time. I didn't think they were going to stop. They ended up just staring at the picture of the doctors with no sort of communication.  
  
I remembered something I was told all those years ago by Markus Janke, about how horrible it is to silence a being that can feel so much, and now those silenced beings have dampeners on their emotional output. In my honest opinion, I think the robots are devastated; they're grieving and have no way of showing it.  
  
  
 **Log 3:**  
  
It would seem like there wouldn't be much to report on today, but I found today's events to be very much worth reporting.  
  
For starters, all legality issues had been put on hold for the past few days, as today was the funeral of the doctors. Interestingly enough, Adele decided to bring the robots, as she said that the doctors were their "fathers" and it only seemed right for them to pay their respects and say goodbye. She even had them dressed in custom tailored black suits. The robots showed no signs of discomfort in their suits, which only confirmed my beliefs on what the robots have learned.  
  
We arrived an hour before the ceremony. Adele asked the funeral director to open the caskets so the robots could take one final look at the doctors. The details of the doctors' mangled conditions are not necessary to report on; the robots staring without any sign of thought at Dr. Bangalter and Dr. Christo is more important to speak of. Adele seemed persistent on making them show some sign of feeling, as she started saying some saddening things.  
  
"Thomas, Guy, those are the men who built you," she said, "They envisioned you, did all they could to make you, and here you are alive because of them. They are gone now. This is death, Guy and Thomas. This is human fragility. This is what it means to be human."  
  
Thomas and Guy-Man stared at Adele for a while before nodding and lowering their heads to stare at their "fathers". Adele urged them to say goodbye before the caskets were shut, and the lights spelling out "GOODBYE" on their screens were the only sign of communication I saw from them for the rest of the day.  
  
Even the funeral itself didn't break them. They simply sat still, hands folded in their laps, and watched as the funeral director spoke about the doctors. They stood and turned to face the crowd when the director asked them to do so, and he went on about how Thomas and Guy-Man were masterpieces of science, how they were created by the greatest minds of a generation, how they have created a legacy, and how they would withstand mortality to carry on that legacy, for their craft, their legacy would live on as long as they would. Their work would never be over.

At the graveyard, I watched as they placed their hands on the closed caskets. They stood so close to one another, as if the presence of each other was vital for getting through the funeral. I noticed Thomas place his hand on Guy-Man, and when their optics met, they stared at each other for a long time. I wondered how well they could communicate now without words, without their cable. The bond they had forged in the few months they were alive at the lab had grown exponentially. I can only imagine how much the bond has strengthened and grown in fifteen years. Perhaps it has grown enough so that with a simple touch and glance, they understand one another.  
  
Some time after we reached the luncheon hall, I managed to slip away from the crowd. I knew that the scientists and robots would be staying together for a few hours, which provided me enough time to get inside the doctors' home.  
  
Getting inside of the house wasn't an issue, as the lock was easy to pick. I only found two bedrooms on the second floor. I deduced that the room with a single bed was the room of Christo and Bangalter. While I searched their desk, I managed to collect a very vital piece to my investigation: the shared observation journals of Dr. Christo and Dr. Bangalter. I sorted through various scrapbooks and sketchbooks, but I decided to make do with the journals. I will be sending significant journal entries to H.Q. after I sort through them.  
  
I entered the second room, large and rather plain with no bed or other furniture. However, the room was littered with belongings that I knew right away belonged to Guy-Man and Thomas.  
  
I saw cables connecting to two large boxes, the boxes connected to outlets in the wall, which I deduced was their method of recharging their bodies. There was a toolbox labeled "Maintenance", containing tools and oils and other things the robots probably use to take care of themselves.  
  
Taped to the wall was a childish crayon drawing of what looked like Guy-Man and Thomas, and in between them was a small child. I noticed the blocky writing in the bottom right corner spelling "Clémentine" and realized Clémentine De La Fontaine, the daughter of Julie De La Fontaine, had drawn this for them as a child. I could tell she drew the robots from memory. Seeing the drawing taped to the wall years after they had received it gave me the idea that the robots understand sentiment.  
  
On the floor, I saw a stereo system with a pile of various CD's and cassettes, and a record player with a stack of records; all the pieces of music were of varying artists, mostly rock n' roll, but a mix of everything. There was also television placed on the floor with a DVD/VHS player, and a pile of various movies. I looked in the closet and not only did I see some clothes, but I saw a bass guitar, an electric guitar, amplifiers, and a keyboard without a stand. So, it's obvious that Thomas and Guy-Man occupy themselves when they aren't working.  
  
Before leaving the room, I did notice a book hidden behind the record player, a lightly used copy of "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick. I found it interesting to find a book about human beings and androids in the room of Thomas and Guy-Man and wondered which of the two read the book, or if both of them have. I noticed a bookmark inside the pages and found its place, then noticed highlighted text. After reading it, I started to understand more about the robots, about how they feel, about how smart they are, smart enough to feel existential.  
  
The highlighted quote read:  
  
" _Mozart, not long after writing The Magic Flute, had died--in his thirties--of kidney disease. And had been buried in an unmarked pauper's grave. Thinking this, he wondered if Mozart had any intuition that the future did not exist, that he had already used up his little time._ Maybe I have too _, Rick thought as he watched the rehearsal move along. This rehearsal will end, the performance will end, the singers will die, eventually the last score of the music will be destroyed in one way or another; finally the name 'Mozart' will vanish, the dust will have won. If not on this planet then another_."


	9. The Journals of Dr. Christo and Dr. Bangalter: Entries 24, 56, 63, 65, and 73

**After the agent's visit to the home of Dr. Christo and Bangalter, the agent successfully obtained the doctors' shared observation journals. When the agent deemed which entries were significant enough to send to HQ, HQ received the following entries.**

\----  
 **The shared observation journal of Dr. Bangalter and Dr. Christo**

 **Entry 24**  
 **Entered by:** Christo

  
It is rather unfortunate that our dear friend **[NAME REDACTED]** has parted ways with us. I think that even the robots liked **[our friend]**. Both Dr. Bangalter and I wish that we could have had a more formal goodbye. Alas, work gets in the way of all things, I suppose, and **[NAME REDACTED]** needed to leave. Hopefully, we will see **[our friend]** again.  
  
Moving onto more important matters, Guy-Manuel had an unfortunate accident today. He tumbled down some stairs when being escorted back to his room and broke a piece of his head off, exposing his wires. Guy-Manuel didn't seem to register the feeling as pain; however, he couldn't stop touching the exposed spot. It was just as Ms. De La Fontaine said; he would not feel it as pain, but would know something is wrong.  
  
I would like to have this repaired as soon as possible, but the team insists that the whole head casing will have to be replaced. So, for now, my robot will have to keep his wires out.  
  
Thomas seemed concerned for Guy-Manuel's sake, as he gingerly placed a hand on Guy-Manuel's exposed wires and stayed near him as if to make sure he was okay.  


\----

**Entry 56**   
**Entered by: Christo**

  
We took the robots outside today, behind the lab where no one could see them. Both Thomas and Guy-Manuel didn't react positively to this at all and asked to be lead inside right away. I hypothesize that this is a big change for them, stepping out of their comfort zone. Dr. Bangalter inquired Dr. Shulz on the matter, and Dr. Shulz theorized that the robots may have a fear of the outside that needs to be slowly resolved in small steps; placing them near an open window, having them listen to ambient sounds, showing them non-violent movies, anything small before taking them outside.  
  
Dr. Shulz thinks that this fear is one we should start resolving soon, as the robots should be ready for their public appearance and since we all don't know when that will be, we should have plenty of time to help them through this.  


\-----

**Entry 63:**

Entered by: Bangalter

The robots don't seem to care much for documentaries. So far, they have watched educational movies, the sort of movies students watch in school. They seem bored with these movies. Mr. Strauss of the musical composition sector offered the robots documentaries on rock n' roll and music in general. They seemed more interested in these, particularly the ones about rock n' roll.

Last month, I was suggested that the robots should start watching actual narrative movies. Dr. Christo thinks that keeping the robots away from intense movies counts as coddling, that we would be sheltering them from the reality of life.

So, as of late, they have been watching movies in their spare time. They have all been various, no specific genre, but plenty of movies that Dr. Christo and I loved growing up. Yesterday, they watched Phantom of the Paradise and gave us incredibly positive feedback on the movie. They particularly noted their love of the music and the hero wearing a helmet mask, similar to their heads resembling helmet masks.

\----

**Entry 65**   
  
**Entered by: Christo**

We have given the robots records hoping that music will not only inspire them, but provide them comfort with other human beings, as a means of showing them the music that humans produce.  
  
This endevour has proven successful, as the robots have latched onto rock n' roll. Guy-Manuel particularly likes Jimi Hendrix and The Doors. They have asked if they can keep the records. Since they belong to various members of our team, we decided send some team members to venture out and buy the robots their own records.  


\----

**Entry 73:**

**Entered by: Bangalter**

I was asked a rather disturbing question by the robots today.

They both seemed to have had the question on their minds, so to speak, as they seemed reluctant to ask.

The question that came from Thomas was, "What happens when you die?"

I asked the robots how much they knew about death, figuring that their knowledge was limited to what they saw in the various movies they watched.

Thomas answered with the dictionary definition of death, specifically, "The total and permanent cessation of all the vital functions of an organism".

I pondered the definition of death, talking of decomposition and how humans particularly rot, how there usually follows a ceremony depending on the culture the human being is from. I told them how some humans are burned and how some are buried.

Guy-Manuel shook his head and told me, "That is so saddening", which broke my heart to read. He then asked, "When will you die?"

This question struck me, as I haven't put much thought on how long I will live for. I offered Guy-Manuel a reassuring smile and told him that I'm not going anywhere, that I'm still in good health and that Dr. Christo and I are going to care for the robots as long as we can.

Thomas pressed, "But what if you do? Then what? Who will care for us then?"

Guy-Manuel noticed what his partner had said, nodded, and continued, "If our vital parts were to cease functioning, you could replace them and we would live on. A dead heart cannot be replaced with a beating heart. Thomas and I can live forever if we are properly cared for. If you and Dr. Christo go, then what will happen to us?"

It took all my strength to maintain composure, to not succumb to the raging sadness they had invoked within me. All I could do was speculate; I told them that we would have to prepare for that, to speak to a lawyer about who they will be written off to in our will, to make sure the beneficiary was someone we could trust.

Again, I reassured the robots that we are here now, that we are not going anywhere, and when the time comes that our lives are over, that they would have to cross that bridge when they get to it. For now, they have work to do, and they still will even when we are no longer around. Their work is far from over.


	10. The Journals of Dr. Christo and Dr. Bangalter: Entries 77, 115, and 116

**Entry 77**  
 **Entered by:** Bangalter  
  
A thunderstorm happened today. The robots didn't take this well. It was initially Guy-Manuel who panicked at a flash of lightning and started running for Thomas, but when he reached him, he found that Thomas was also frightened. Dr. Christo tried explaining to them that it's only a thunderstorm and they are perfectly natural. This didn't comfort either of them. Guy burried his face in Thomas' chest, and while Thomas held him, the word, "Scared" kept flashing on his screen.  
  
Unfortunately, the storm got bad enough to result in a power outage, and this only caused the robots more fear. Dr. Christo told them to keep their lights on while he went to start up the back-up generator.  
  
The robots were educated on thunderstorms and understand the science behind them, but they are still frightened by them. Dr. Christo explains it to them every single time, but they are frightened anyway. I speculate they're scared of the electrical surges and that their bodies will be affected by them.  


 **Entry: 115**  
 **Entered by:** Christo  
  
We received a letter from the agency today saying that they would like Daft Punk to come show themselves on television in a press conference, in which they will be unveiled to the public.  
  
Our methods of getting them used to the outside world have only helped a little, so we are hoping that the press conference won't be a traumatizing experience for them. Being surrounded by people will not make the experience easier, I just know it.  
  
When asked how they felt, Guy-Manuel responded with "Scared" and Thomas with "Nervous". I was keen to observe them, to see how well their  ghost files* understand "scared" and "nervous". So far, the files haven't evolved much beyond glancing to each other constantly and the occasional fidget. I hope that once they are exposed to humans, their files will grow faster.

Still, the robots are agitated over the ordeal. We will do all we can to make sure they take the experience well.  


***AGENT NOTE* _"Ghost files" underlined for emphasis, as the definition of the term has yet to be discovered. I am confident that the definition will become clearer very soon._**

 

 **Entry 116**  
 **Entered by:** Bangalter  
  
The robots are relieved that the press conference is over. I am elated with the results, the cheers, the questions, the overall positive reception, but the robots did not take a liking to the attention. They answered the questions directed at them, but when I asked them how they felt afterwards, they both told me that they were "relieved it's over".  
  
I saw the robots sitting alone and decided to spy on them, noticing that they were conversing with each other via communication screens. From what I recall, this is how the conversation went.  
  
Guy-Manuel: How do you feel?  
  
Thomas: Scared.  
  
Guy-Manuel: Me too [A brief pause] We did well today!  
  
Thomas: We did. Humans like us?  
  
Guy-Manuel: They do!  
  
Thomas: That's good. [A brief pause] So, we are Daft Punk?  
  
Guy-Manuel: We are Daft Punk.  
  
Thomas: What's a daft punk? The name was simply given to us. We have been Daft Punk for a long while now, but I still can't define it.

Guy-Manuel: [He seemed to have found the dictionary definition in his data reserves] Daft, Adjective: Senseless, stupid, or foolish  
[He paused, pulling up a second definition]  
Punk, noun, slang: 1. Something or someone worthless or unimportant; 2. A young ruffian; hoodlum 3. A style or movement characterized by the adoption of aggressively unconventional and often bizarre or shocking clothing, hairstyles, makeup, etc.  
[I don't recall the rest of this particular definition he used. He continued on.]  
4\. Pertaining to, characteristic of, or adopting punk styles.

Thomas: So, we are senseless, stupid, and/or foolish . . . worthless, unimportant ruffian/hoodlums who have adopted unconventional characteristics pertaining to punk?

Guy-Manuel: No, I don't suppose that was their intent. [I believe he was referring to Dr. Christo and I.] They hold us up to high esteem. I think it is a sort of play on words . . . slang, if you will, lingo not meant to be taken literally.

Thomas: So then, what is a daft punk?  
  
Guy-Manuel: [Paused before shrugging and displaying question marks]  
  
Thomas: [He laughed, he actually laughed. His vox processor produced sounds of robotic laughter] [I am noting this as important because this is the first time I have ever heard Thomas, my dear Thomas, laugh. I didn't even think he knew how to use his vox processor for laughter.]  
  
Guy-Manuel: I like your voice.  
  
Thomas: [A brief pause] But I can't speak.  
  
They didn't say anything for a while after this.  
  
Guy-Manuel: You are my friend.  
  
Thomas: You are my friend too.  
  
The robots then joined hands and sat like that for a long while.  
  
It's truly wonderful to see how close they have gotten. Why, they have gotten so close, they turn to each other for comfort. I am now thinking that when they get time alone, I should allow them use of the brainwave share cable so they can communicate on deeper levels, though that will prevent me from chancing upon a conversation again.  
  
Needless to say, it seems that from this point on, the robots will be busier than ever, not just with their music, but now that they are allowed in public, they will be appearing on television and other interviews. The public is practically in an uproar over two robots who compose music (and one that sings), so the fascination with them is only going to grow. And from what I saw tonight, they will be there for each other when the going gets tough.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used dictionary.reference.com for the dictionary definitions used in this piece.


	11. The Journals of Dr. Christo and Dr. Bangalter: The Incident Report

**Entry 199**  
Entered by: Christo  
  
This is the first entry either of us have made in a long time. Dr. Bangalter and I have spent our time in the hospital after the incident.  
  
It seemed that there was some sort of glitch in the recording studio. Our robots were working at their sampler. Dr. Bangalter came in the room just as it happened; the sampler exploded. Dr. Bangalter took some extensive damage to the face, as did the robots. I came in immediately and in my effort to take Dr. Bangalter and the robots out of the burning wreckage, I received some burns on my face and hands.  
  
We were rushed to a hospital and told Pedro to keep an eye on the robots. Dr. Bangalter, after being admitted to the E.R., had lost his left eye when a piece of debris landed itself there. My diagnosis wasn't as serious, though my face and hands will never look the same again. I look at myself and can't help but think that my face looks like it's melting on one side, red and tight like molten lava.  
  
I phoned the lab and asked to have Zeinab Sbeti sent down with a team to assess the damage and repair Guy-Manuel and Thomas. I had the robots brought to me and saw that they are both in very bad condition. Guy-Manuel's head casing is now almost without a screen, as his circuit board "face" is mostly exposed. Parts of his hands and shoulder had also burned off in the fire, revealing his inner workings. Thomas suffered head damage as well; his screen has been shattered. He was touching the sampler before the explosion and as a result has lost his right arm. He too received some burn damage.  
  
My greatest concern lies in their physicality; how much the repairs are going to cost us, how quickly they can be repaired, and how they will be after the repairs. The Project has cost us so much money and we were hoping to make all that money back. Now, it seems we will have to spend much more.  
  
We spoke to Pedro after we were released from the hospital, asking him what he thought could have caused it. He did tell us something rather interesting, that after he watched the security footage of the accient, he found that the number nine was prevalent in the time and date in which the accident occured: exactly at 9:09 AM on September 9th, 1999. Pedro figures it is a computer glitch that everyone is worried about, the Y2K virus. He says the robots and Dr. Bangalter just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.  
  
Pedro also stated that it seems the robots were still connected during the time of the accident and remained that way until I started to pull them out of the room. This makes me think whatever Guy-Manuel and Thomas were feeling at that moment were being shared through the cable; they were inside of each other's minds. Their possible fear and other feelings and thoughts were being shared. This experience must have been very traumatic for them.

[ . . . ]

I have checked back with the repair team, and Ms. Sbeti says that the repairs are not going to be complete any time soon. It also seems that the costliest components of the repairs are the heads and Thomas' arm; both Guy-Manuel's and Thomas' head casings needs to be completely replaced and Thomas needs a new arm. Attaching his arm won't be too much work, but it will still take time.  
  
Dr. Bangalter says that he will monitor the robots' thoughts on this ordeal when he is well enough to.  
  
 **Continuation of entry 199**  
 **Entered by:** Bangalter  
  
Words cannot even begin to describe the emotional turmoil I have been subjected to. I am blind in one eye, at least it feels that way now that I am without my left eye. I also lost some hearing from the explosion and suffered some burns. However, It is mostly the robots that I am worried about.  
  
Now that they are without screens until the new head casings arrive, they are lacking their ability to communicate. So, I have decided to try having them write. I spoke to Guy-Manuel. He seemed concerned about me, as he reached a hand out to touch my wounded eye. I told him not to worry about me, but that he was lucky for being able to have his parts replaced whereas my eye would not be. Guy-Manuel nodded, but still touched my bandaging and my burns. I told him that I felt sorry for him and Thomas, especially since they were still connected during the event. I told him that he should try to feel positive, as he and his friend will be fixed in due time.  
  
I handed him paper and a pencil and asked him to write the answers to the questions I would ask him.  
  
I asked him how he was feeling. He wrote down, "Scared". I asked him why. He said, "I am without parts of my body. I am lacking my friend." I told him Thomas needs to be fixed and they will be apart until they are both repaired. Guy-Manuel responded with, "I want Thomas to be okay." He paused for a moment, then continued, "Thomas was scared. I was scared. We were still streaming data. He was trying to reach for me and then realized he had no arm. He got more scared. I did too. I didn't know what was happening to us and I was worried about him. I want Thomas to be okay."  
  
I wanted so badly to see my Thomas. So, I saw him, without his face and lacking an arm. He recognized my voice when I called to him. Seeing him in such a pitiful state brought tears to my eye, and I wept harder when he too expressed his concern for me and touched the bandaging over my eye. I held my precious robot close to my chest. I told him he would be okay, that it was okay if he was feeling scared and alone because we all were in some way, that the team would fix him up and he would be back with Guy-Manuel in no time. It was in this moment that I wished Thomas could speak to me, that he could utilize his vox processor to say something, anything to me. Thomas put his only arm around me and I held him like that for a long time.  
  
Back to Dr. Christo, we are assessing the damage and the costs of everything. Our biggest fears are that if our debts pile up high enough, the bank will suggest selling the robots. We have decided that we will first pay off our hospital bills, then we will pay off the damage, then continue with our total debt. I know we should hurry on with the debt, as the interest continues to rise, but I think we should focus on the present and get current matters out of our way.  
  
 **  
Exerpt from journal entry 200**  
 **Entered by:** Bangalter  
  
The robots were reunited today after their repairs. It's strange, without words and faces, I could still sense the happiness and relief to see each other again. They ran for each other and held each other in a tight embrace for a long time. All of us were shocked to see such a display of affection between our two robots. I took a closer look at them and saw that Guy-Manuel's coloured lights were on and the images on his screen kept changing from various smiling faces. Thomas' screen was lit red and I saw the words, "I'm so happy" scroll by.  
  
[ . . .]  
  
I had a moment alone with Guy-Manuel today and he asked me something very interesting. He asked me, "Does Dr. Christo not love me?"  
  
I asked Guy-Manuel why he would think such a thing, and he explained, "Thomas told me you held him. Dr. Christo doesn't hold me. Why?"  
  
I've known Dr. Christo for so many years, far before he was "Doctor", back when he was only Serge Homem. Even when he was married, he was not an affectionate man. I now know personally that even to this day, he is not very affectionate. I know that it is only natural for him to not show his love, even if he loves deeply. So, I explained to Guy-Manuel that Dr. Christo's love is there, he just doesn't show it the same way I do; just because people don't show love the same way doesn't mean that love isn't there.  
  
Guy-Manuel nodded and told me he understands. He seemed reluctant to ask me to embrace him, but he managed to get the request out. And so, I offered Guy-Manuel a loving embrace.  
  
Who would have thought that a robot could crave affection?  
  
 **  
Exerpt from entry 201**  
 **Entered by:** Christo  
  
I read Dr. Bangalter's journal about Guy-Manuel wondering if I love him or not. Needless to say, this thought has disturbed me for days. Today, I separated my robot from his companion while they were working. I sat him down in an empty room and began to talk to him about some personal matters.  
  
I told him about my former wife Pascale and how our marriage failed. I told him about my son Laurent, how he was so small when Pascale gained custody of him and took him from me. I told him about how I hadn't seen Laurent since the divorce, and it has been many years. I told him that I had learned that love is pain, and that it has taken me years to work through that belief. To this day, I still am.  
  
I explained to Guy-Manuel regret and how it has affected me for all these years. I told him that it saddened me in a way how close Dr. Bangalter is with Thomas because him and I are both old men now, old and filled with regret. We are devoted to our work and have no time for families. I think that through this Project, Dr. Bangalter found a way to combine his work and want of a family. Thomas is both his life's work and his son.  
  
For me, I would love for Guy-Manuel to be like that, but I fear attachment. I don't want to grow close to Guy-Manuel only for something to happen to him in which I'd never see him again. However, I did reassure Guy-Manuel that I do care about him deeply, and that I am sorry that I don't show it.  
  
Guy-Manuel seemed to understand. He nodded, placed his hand on mine, and stared at me for a while. He then told me, "I'm sorry", which confused me. What was he sorry about, I wondered. Was it what I told him about Laurent? My fear of getting close? Was it remorse from the damage done to my face? I didn't know and a part of me didn't want to find out. So, I simply smiled at my robot and then dismissed him.


	12. The Mystery

**Log 4:**  
  
As it turns out, the wills of Dr. Gerard Bangalter and Dr. Serge Christo stated that the legal ownership of Thomas Bangalter and Guillaume Emmanuel de Homem-Christo are now the property of Adele Lachance, for the reason that she was the most critical point in the Project, as she was the one who was able to fashion their minds and correct their potentially harmful behavior.  
  
Virgin Records is not happy about this, but Adele couldn't be happier, at least about the legal ownership.  
  
"They're my robots now," she said with a smile, "Mine, not theirs, mine. And as their legal owner, I will decide what's best for them, not the record label."  
  
Despite saying this, Adele relented and let the robots continue with their work. She would have wanted to "counsel" the robots on the deaths of their "fathers" and do some tests on them, but she gave in, saying that maybe this is what the robots need is some time to forget about all of this.  
  
I decided to ask Adele what she thought on the robots' fame and how they were liking it.  
  
"I don't think they like it," Adele said, "The doctors insisted they're happy with it, but I think they prefer secrecy and barriers. Call me crazy, but I think they're xenophobic and agoraphobic. They're content with making music, but they would rather stay inside, I think, and watch people from a distance. The doctors wanted them to have fame so they can have money in their pockets, but the robots want to be left alone to make their music. And I think that's pitiful. Of course I'm happy that the Project is a success and that all our hard work has paid off, that Daft Punk is a real and famous thing, but it's saddening for the robots."  
  
I asked Adele if I could speak to the robots, and unfortunately, she refused it.  
  
"They have a show coming soon," she said, "They don't need to be bothered. If anyone is going to bother them, it's going to be me or someone with the experience to assist me."  
  
  
Log 5:  
  
I contacted Julie De La Fontaine today. I spoke to her via telephone and asked her of her daughter Clémentine, thinking that now Clémentine must be nineteen years old.  
  
"It's no coincidence that she's loves Daft Punk," Julie told me, "She saw them at a young age and ever since then, she has been so fascinated by them. She loves their music to bits and is hoping she can see them again in person. I would like her to, but maybe after the robots properly 'deal' with the deaths of the doctors. Though she is technically seeing them in person if the show goes on that is. She's been in Los Angeles for the past four days with her friend for this show. Still, she would prefer to spend some actual alone time with them."  
  
I asked her if Clémentine knew about the doctors deaths.  
  
"She does," Julie answered, "I told her right away. Something like, 'Sweetie, you remember those nice men who let you see Guy and Thomas all those years ago? Well, they died. They were killed in a very bad car accident.' And lately, she's been asking me how the robots feel about it. I don't even know how to answer that. I've heard from the artificial intelligence sector that they aren't showing any signs of feeling. There are ways to get it out of them, I suppose. Why don't you tell Lachance or any of the others there to have them write their thoughts down, or to perform some diving into their brainwaves."

I noted the suggestion. Before I ended the phone call, I asked Julie to send me a recent picture of Clémentine and the robots. I told her it was just to see how they look nowadays. That excuse was persuasion enough. She said she will send me an e-mail with a picture attached tonight. This will help me to identify her at the show.  
  
 **Log 6:**  
  
Adele would have preferred for tonight to not happen, but Daft Punk had a show tonight and she didn't have the power to say no.  
  
So, tonight was the night I attended my first Daft Punk concert.  
  
Personally, I found it too loud and flashy, but the crowd seemed enamored by the lights and imagery that was a huge part of the show. I had a good view of them, focussed on their music, and every now and then, glancing at each other and interacting with the crowd with waves and other gestures. I wondered how they were feeling up there, nervous probably. But a robot is a robot and can perform actions much faster and better than human beings. So, seeing them up there, live in the mix, creating an auditory and visual experience that enamored a crowd of people, to me that was the best part of the show.  
  
They seemed so involved in it, moving to the beat and even encouraging the crowd to clap with them. The performance was flawless.  
  
I did get a chance to speak to some of the attendees before slipping off to find the robots. I asked them what they thought of the show and the duo. The following are some of the more interesting responses I received:  
  
"They're mind blowing! They always will be! It's not just music, it's an emotional experience!"  
  
"Robots! Can you believe they're robots?! They're real life robots! Who would have thought we'd live to see the day!"  
  
"Are they even real? They move like people, they have to be people in disguises!"  
  
"I want to relive that experience ten more times. This just shows robots are cooler than people!"  
  
Just as I thought, I was able to find Clémentine De La Fontaine heading backstage. I managed to get her alone so I could talk to her. I introduced myself and she said she barely remembered me, but I told her I was there when she was four years old and playing with Thomas and Guy-Man, that I was a friend of the late Dr. Christo and Dr. Bangalter. She greeted me warmly then. I decided to ask her some questions then about Daft Punk and her thoughts.  
  
"I've been so into them since that day. I couldn't stop thinking about them. I remember my mom telling me when I was a little older that they were making music, that it would be on the radio, and that they could be famous. And here they are now, famous, and I love their music. I'm so amazed to hear what those two are capable of! I was able to see them a few more times, but want to see them now especially and that's why I came down here. It's nice to see them get so into their concert, especially after the doctors died. Mom told me she's not sure how they're taking the deaths, but I want to see them and find out."  
  
We greeted the robots together. It was obvious that there was some sort of companionship between them and Clémentine, as she she approached them with her arms out saying, "T-Bang and Guy-Man, the daftest punks and coolest robots around!" and embraced each of them.  
  
"Have I ever told you two how proud I am of you?" Clémentine asked. The robots glanced at each other and looked down at the floor. "No, really," she continued, "You two are musical geniuses and you have worked so hard to get here. And wow, do you ever put on an amazing performance. You two are incredible."  
  
Guy-Man and Thomas both displayed "THANK YOU" for Clémentine.  
  
Clémentine asked them what's next for them. The robots glanced at each other and shrugged before displaying, "WORK?".  
  
"Work? That's all you ever do," she said, "Why don't you two take some time off for you? What does Daft Punk do on their days off?"  
  
Again, the robots displayed, "WORK?", which gave me the idea that the doctors treated them more like computers than people and always had them working. I remembered their room, filled with movies and music and even a book, so I knew that they had to have some time off.  
  
"Let's change that," Clémentine said, "I'm staying here for another two days. Why don't we all head out for a drink? Well, I'll drink and you two can just enjoy the atmosphere. You can come too!" She gestured to me. "Come on you two, what do you say?"  
  
I knew Clémentine was not of legal drinking age in the United States, but I decided to hold my tongue. I figured she had ways of obtaining an illegal drink. I also didn't want to tell her that it wasn't up to her or the robots to decide what they would do, considering Adele Lachance, their new legal owner, has a tighter leash on them.  
  
The robots glanced at each other again, shrugging and then looking back at her. They finally found a response; Guy-Man displayed "OKAY?" and Thomas "SURE, I GUESS".  
  
I decided to leave early so Clémentine could have some time alone with the robots. I reached Adele at the robots' home and told her that Clémentine De La Fontaine was planning on taking the robots out to town at some point. Adele sighed and said, "I guess it's alright. Let them have a little more freedom before I decide to figure out what's going on in their heads."  
  
I told her what Julie De La Fontaine suggested to me, that the robots should try to write down their thoughts or they could have their brainwaves looked at.  
  
"Those ideas don't sound half bad," Adele said, "Maybe I'll try a writing exercise soon."  
  
Adele then looked up at me and said, "Have you listened to the music they made? And I mean actually listened to it?"  
  
That's when Adele lead me up to the robots' room and rummaged through their record collection to find a vinyl of Discovery, their second studio album.  
  
"Look, I know I'm in charge of the artificial intelligence sector," she told me, "I know I was the one who oversaw everything that was done to their minds, but even I am baffled by what their minds produce. Here, listen."  
  
She placed the needle down, selecting "Digital Love". I listened to the words, finding myself immersed in the beat and Thomas' voice.  
  
"Do you know who wrote this song?" she asked, "Carlos R. Sosa, and the robots. But listen to the words." She pulled out the lyrics sheet and started to read them off.  
  
" _Last night I had a dream about you_  
 _In this dream I'm dancing right beside you_  
 _And it looked like everyone was having fun_  
 _the kind of feeling I've waited so long_  
[ . . .]  
 _The time is right_  
 _To put my arms around you_  
 _You're feeling right_  
 _You wrap your arms around too_  
 _But suddenly I feel the shining sun_  
 _Before I knew it this dream was all gone_  
  
 _Oh, I don't know what to do_  
 _About this dream and you_  
 _I wish this dream comes true_ "  
  
I didn't understand what she was getting at, saying that Guy and Thomas weren't the only ones who worked on the song, so I didn't understand what the issue was.  
  
She changed the track to "Something About Us". "Then, how's this one? Both of them wrote this song. Only the both of them." She began to read the lyrics.  
  
" _It might not be the right time_  
 _I might not be the right one_  
 _But there's something about us I want to say_  
 _Cause there's something between us anyway_  
  
 _I might not be the right one_  
 _It might not be the right time_  
 _But there's something about us I've got to do_  
 _Some kind of secret I will share with you_  
  
 _I need you more than anything in my life_  
 _I want you more than anything in my life_  
 _I'll miss you more than anyone in my life_  
 _I love you more than anyone in my life_ "  
  
"Don't you get it?" Adele said, "There's something different in their music that I never thought possible." She thumbed through the book and found the lyrics of "Too Long".  
  
"They wrote this song with Anthony Wayne Moore, but listen: ' _It's been much too long, I feel it coming on, The feeling is getting strong, It's been much too long, I feel it coming on, The feeling is in my bones, Too long, can you feel it, too long, oh can you feel it_ '. Well, this might not be the best example, but that," she pointed at the record player, still playing "Something About Us". "Let me read that again, ' _I need you more than anything in my life, I want you more than anything in my life, I'll miss you more than anyone in my life, I love you more than anyone in my life . . . Cause there's something between us anyway_.' Don't you see?! They're two robots writing about love!"


	13. The Journals of Dr. Christo and Dr. Bangalter: Entries 206, 242, 271, and 354

**Entry 206**  
 **Entered by:** Christo

The robots' new material proves interesting in a multitude of ways.

For starters, they have taken quite a large leap from their last album. In Homework, they seemed to be experimenting with sounds and tunes. Now, they seem to be creating a new sound all together. Dr. Bangalter speculates that they have drawn inspiration from the various records they have been listening to; disco, rock n' roll, and the like have inspired a new techno/disco/rock n' roll sound.

Secondly, they seem to be listening closely to us. How many times have we said that Thomas and Guy-Manuel work harder than humans, are better than humans, learn faster than humans, and are stronger than humans? A lot, it seems. This song that they have titled "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger", sounds to me like they internalized all these statements and made a song about them.

"Work it harder, make it better, do it faster, makes us stronger, more than ever, hour after, our work is never over."

 **Entry 242**  
 **Entered by:** Bangalter

Ghost file progression Report  
Thomas: Now sits with his legs crossed, tends to tap his foot in what seems to be expressing impatience, uses hand gestures to convey his words, overall posture is more relaxed and less rigid  
Guy-Manuel: Slouches when seated, crosses his arms and taps his fingers on his forearm in what seems to be expressing impatience, uses hand gestures to convey his words, has added profanity to his vocabulary, overall posture is more relaxed and less rigid

Ghost file data upload report: FANTOME_TB3.GF - 38% growth increase since activation, FANTOME_GM08.GF - 40% growth increase since activation

Notes: Dr. Christo and I pledged not to delve into the robots' private thoughts. However, curiosity got the better of me today and I found a most disturbing recurring thought in Thomas' brain.

>Question: What can I do when I am misunderstood?  
>Deriving answer  
>Answer: Explain yourself.  
>I cannot explain myself clearly.  
>I do not want to explain myself.  
>I do not want to be spoken to.  
>I want to be alone with my friend.  
>Is there a place in the world where robots are understood?  
>Are there more robots in the world?  
>Feelings perceived: Anger, fear, frustration  
>Accessing ghost file  
>FANTOME_TB3.GF opening  
>Deriving proper response  
>Scream  
>How can I scream when I have no mouth?  
>I want to die.

 **Entry 271**  
 **Entered by:** Christo

In an attempt to modernize and minimize the robots' appearance, Dr. Bangalter and I have decided on the following upgrades:  
-Remove power supply packs  
-Insert new and improved battery in their necks  
-Remove coloured light effects on screens; make it so that their screens are completely black (with the exception of red for communication)  
-Improve limb functioning to be smoother; ghost file progression is changing the way the robots move, sit, and stand, smoother and more fluid limb function is needed

The following upgrades will be sent to the lab in Paris. Guy-Manuel and Thomas will be departing to Paris very soon to undergo the upgrades. The procedures may take several weeks to a month, perhaps more. Their manager has been informed of their soon to be departure.

 

 *****Entry 354*****  
 **Entered by:** Bangalter

The robots' obsession with humanity has been on my mind for the past year.

As we already know, the robots prefer to be recluse and would rather not interact with strange human beings. They seem to be both disinterested and fascinated in them at the same time, and both Dr. Christo and I are confused as to how that can be.

When I asked them why they are working on a song in which the lyrics say, "We are human after all", Guy-Manuel told me, "You once told us that our gifts are what make us human. Is it not possible to be both machine and essentially human?"

And it is true. I did say that to them. Because in the creation of the ghost file, Dr. Christo and I were attempting to pull technology closer to humanity. Robotics has always been about one dimensional data banks and simple, even comical designs. Dr. Christo and I decided to change robotics. We decided to bridge the gap between robots and humans. In a way, it can be considered anthropomorphism of computers.

Someday, there will be robots who look entirely human and may even act similar to humans. Thomas and Guy-Manuel may not look very much like humans, but Dr. Christo and I had created a way to make them more human: The ghost file.

We broke barriers in the creation of this file. Besides our robots, it is our proudest creation. It is the single piece of our robots that make them who they are. The ghost file was made to grow, to learn, to take in all the robots see, hear, feel, and learn. It takes in learned data and stores it to create Thomas' and Guy-Manuel's personalities. The files teach them how to sit, stand, and walk like humans (not rigidly like robots do), how to "speak" like humans, and many other mannerisms.

Thomas has become more talkative and relaxed in nature. Guy-Manuel has become more aloof and carries a stronger aspect of a demeanor.

The ghost files have proven to be our biggest success. And now, in the creation of a song that states, "We are human after all", I can see now that the robots' ghost files have reached their maximum potential. The robots are aware of who they are and what they can be, who they essentially are. They are both machine and human after all.

**Agent's note: DEFINITION OF GHOST FILE FOUND**


	14. The Journals of Dr. Christo and Dr. Bangalter: Entries 401-403

**Entry 401**  
 **Entered by:** Bangalter  
  
Thomas asked me a very interesting question today.  
  
He seemed rather timid when he approached me, but I persuaded him to "speak". Thomas asked me, "What is love?"  
  
This shocked me for a multitude of reasons. One, I figured Thomas had the definition of love somewhere in his data reserve. Secondly, I wondered why a robot had such an interest in love.   
  
I told Thomas that there are many kinds of love; the love one feels for their family, their friend, their pet, their favorite food, a prized possession, their lover, that love comes in many different forms. I told Thomas that I loved him like a son and that he is very dear to me.  
  
He seemed to understand all of this, but he asked me again to, "Define love".   
  
I thought hard on this and did the best I could to explain to Thomas that love is not an emotion, but a multitude of feelings that render you both happy and sad, powerful and helpless. I told Thomas that human beings feel a great deal physical things when in love; a fluttering heart beat, blushing cheeks, nervousness, and the like. I told him that when you love a person, you feel complete, whole, and that everything is right in the world. The feeling of love you feel for another is the thing you are most certain of in the entire world; amongst a sea of doubts, your love for a person is a lighthouse in a storm, a beacon of hope, wonder, and safety. I told him that you feel that as long as that person is by your side, you can accomplish anything; you can live through anything; you can be anything.  
  
Thomas nodded, without a word of response. I was starting to think that perhaps love was a feeling that was too complicated for robots to understand, that Thomas probably couldn't feel love, but then his face lit up, literally, with the word "YES!" scrolling by repeatedly.   
  
Thomas seized my hands and thanked me repeatedly before taking his leave.  
  
  
 **Entry 402**  
 **Entered by:** Christo  
  
Everything we have ever thought possible of these robots is wrong.  
  
That is all I can say right now. It isn't just that we created these robots for symphonies and they redefined "symphony", but their capacity to feel and their understanding of feelings has proven far beyond my understanding, especially after what I witnessed tonight.  
  
I caught Guy-Manuel leading a tired looking Thomas into their room; it was something about Guy-Manuel's eagerness, the way he pulled on Thomas' wrist, that piqued my interest.  
  
I opened the door a crack to peer in. I noticed the television on with a movie paused. Guy-Manuel gestured Thomas to sit down on the floor and he did just that. I saw Thomas ask Guy, "What's going on?", but Guy ignored him and pressed play on the DVD player.  
  
Guy sat down next to Thomas and they watched the ending scene of Breakfast At Tiffany's. I considered leaving; I was thinking that Guy was simply sharing a movie with his friend. Then, after Holly and Paul kissed and the credits started to roll, I noticed something strange.  
  
Guy-Manuel placed his hand on Thomas'. Their gazes met. They stared at each other for a little while as the credits rolled. Thomas placed his left hand over his chest plate, patting around the left side, as though he were searching for a heart. Writing this, I have now realized that that was exactly what he was doing. Guy cocked his head at action. Thomas looked up, his face illuminated by the glowing red heart that was now on Guy's face. Words started to flash on Thomas' strip, "I love you."  
  
I felt my heart drop. I felt as though my head were spinning, but I continued to watch. Their hands reached out, cupping each other's heads. They inched closer and paused; I reckoned they had just realized that they hadn't the parts to allow them to kiss, mostly because Guy-Manuel started tapping on the line that is Thomas' "mouth". Instead, they just pressed their heads together, the heart still glowing on Guy's face and the words "I love you" still scrolling across Thomas'.  
  
When I realized they were not going to move from that position, I left.  
  
The robots are a lot smarter than I imagined possible and feel a lot more than we thought they could. Right now, I don't know how I feel about this whole ordeal, our two robots, Guy-Manuel and Thomas, falling in love with each other. That's what it is. It is clear as day. Anyone who bore witness to what I just saw would agree. It was literally on their faces. Guy-Manuel and Thomas are in love. The two robots Dr. Bangalter and I created are not only capable of feeling deep love, but they are in love with each other.  
  
I am going to have Dr. Bangalter read through this entry and him and I are going to have a long talk with each other and the robots on this.  
  
 **Entry 403**  
 **Entered by** : Bangalter:  
  
Love is something that some human beings cannot grasp, that some human beings cannot handle, and yet our units have come to truly understand it.  
  
I read Dr. Christo's journal today and we spoke to the robots. Strangely enough, they were scared. We reassured them that we aren't angry at them, that we just wanted to know what's going on.  
  
We got the simplest responses; a heart on Guy-Manuel's face and "I love Guy-Man" on Thomas'.   
  
Dr. Christo was insistent on finding out how they knew it, which upset the robots. Thomas asked Dr. Christo, "How do humans know they love someone?", as if to challenge him. He also seemed to be able to sense Guy-Manuel's lack of comfort, and grabbed his hand. It was this sight, our two robots holding hands, that gave me a cluster of strange feelings. I didn't know what I was feeling; Confused, perhaps, and maybe a little uncomfortable. My robot was holding the hand of my colleague's robot and they had both expressed their apparent love for one another.  
  
Dr. Christo and I had a talk later about the matter. We pondered speaking to Dr. Lachance about this or any of the others involved in the artificial intelligence sector. Dr. Christo decided we shouldn't bother her about this, because love isn't a disease, and it certainly isn't a glitch in their programming. It is epecially noted that they have their "ghosts" that were designed to constantly gather data and modify themselves, and learning love isn't a mistake. Dr. Christo said that perhaps this was bound to happen, as they are capable of experiencing a variety of feelings and have expressed very positive ones towards their fans, Clémentine De La Fontaine and us. It would only make sense for somewhere in their programming, the understanding of love would be there, and if not that, their "ghosts" would learn love and the expressions of love eventually. This made me realize the indisputable fact that they were literally made for each other. They have been brought together for the sole purpose of bonding and forging a strong connection. I suppose the connection they have reached now is the ultimate level they will ever reach.  
  
We decided that the robots having these feelings are fine. We just don't want anyone finding out, especially the lab technicians in France. Dr. Lachance limited their ability to feel negativity when she found it problematic, and if she were to find this problematic, she would insist on doing something about this and we don't want anymore dampeners on their emotional capacity.   
  
We told the robots all of this, our thoughts on their deeper connection and on not showing it in public. We explained that it is for their safety. I don't think they liked this at all, especially Guy-Manuel, but Thomas being the logical unit, seemed to somewhat understand.  
  
Dr. Christo wondered if this counts as homosexuality. I thought about this for a moment and said that it doesn't. They're robots. We just gave them mens' identities. Like God creating Adam in His image, we humans took the next step; we played God and created beings in our own likeness. So, of course we see them as men when in actuality they're just extremely intelligent computers with human-like features, and human feelings.  
  



	15. The Wishes

**Log 7:**

To my advantage, I was provided with the journal entries of the doctors. After reading the entries about the robots being in love, I understood the songs Adele was fussing over. I even found it interesting how they can channel computerized thoughts in human ways. The words in "Something About Us" sounded so very human of them that it amazed me. I understand so much now, about the robots. I understand how they dress, how they move, how they have evolved.

To Adele's disadvantage, she didn't have the entries and therefore couldn't understand it without bringing it to the robots' attention.

I considered offering Adele the entries of the journals to better her understanding, but came to the realization rather quickly that in doing so, I would risk blowing my cover. As of so far, Adele seems to be totally unaware that the doctors kept journals.

I visited the house today to find that Adele wasn't around. I discovered a small group of team members in the robots' room sorting through their closet. When I asked them what they were up to, they simply said that since Adele was busy, they were poking around.

One team member retrieved Guy-Man's old head casing from the closet, his earliest model with the rainbow lights on the sides. He showed me that the inside was now hollowed out, no longer fit to align with Guy-Man's hardware when placed on his head.

The team member urged the others to look at him as he placed Guy's head casing over his head like a helmet. This urged another team member to search through the closet and retrieve Thomas' earliest head casing, also hollowed out. He placed it over his head as well. The two team members then began to move and speak in a robotic fashion, calling each other by the robots' names and singing to their music. The other team members found this funny, but the fun ended as soon as their apparent supervisor walked in. She seemed very angry when she told them to stop immediately.

When the scene died down, she introduced herself to me as Zeinab Sbeti. After expressing her disappointment in her crew, comparing them to children that needed babysitting, she told me that Adele was very busy, that she had been on the phone all day trying to talk to the team members at the lab in Paris, and that she sounded angry. When I asked for the robots, she said they were in the basement hard at work and advised me to not disturb them.

I, of course, disregarded this and went to see them right away.

I was lead down the stairs of the basement by the sound of a keyboard playing an unfamiliar tune. I discovered Thomas playing away at the keys and Guy-Man with a pen and paper scrawling.

Upon seeing me, they stopped what they were doing and stared at me. They each said "HELLO" on their screens, which made me grateful in that moment that they couldn't talk and alert Zeinab that I was down here.

I asked them what they were up to, and Guy-Man told me "NEW IDEAS".

I looked around the basement and noticed another instrument that wasn't in their room upstairs: a drum set. I asked them who it belonged to and Guy-Man raised a hand. He told me, "WE HAVE LEARNED A LOT SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GONE", "THOMAS LEARNED TO PLAY THE GUITAR", "AND I LEARNED TO PLAY THE PIANO", "AND THE DRUMS".

Thomas then said, "HAVE YOU SEEN OUR VIDEOS?", "IN TECHNOLOGIC WE BOTH PLAY THE GUITAR", "AND IN ROBOT ROCK I PLAY THE GUITAR AND GUY-MAN PLAYS THE DRUMS".

Admittedly, I haven't seen any of their videos and I told them this. They didn't seem offended at all, as Thomas simply said, "WATCH THEM IF YOU WANT". I made a mental note to watch their videos as soon as I can.

I was hesitant to bring up my discovery of their love, so I tried talking to them about other things. I asked if they were excited to see Clémentine tomorrow. They both said, "YES", but Guy-Man continued, "BUT I'M NOT HAPPY ABOUT BEING AROUND STRANGERS". Thomas nodded in agreement and said, "WE ARE VERY SHY ROBOTS".

I asked them how they are feeling today, which I then realized was a bad idea when they both didn't say a thing for a long time. I apologized.

Then, Guy-Man said something strange: "I WISH ROBOTVILLE WAS REAL"

I asked him what he was talking about.

Thomas answered for him: "ROBOTVILLE IS A PLACE IS WHERE MUSIC ISN'T THE ONLY IMPORTANT THING"

This is a detail I am urging H.Q. to consider deeply. The robots that were programmed solely for making music have told me that they believe music isn't the only important things in their lives and they want to live somewhere where that is a fact. Consider this as deeply as I have. Of course music isn't the only important thing in life, but for Guy-Man and Thomas, they were told that it is. It is their abilities to make music that have been earning the record label and the doctors large sums of money. For the robots, they aren't in it for the profit, they are doing it because that's what they were made to do. In seeing them say that that "Robotville is a place where music isn't the only important thing" and that they wish such a place was real, I have come to understand that they have wishes of their own.

So, I asked them what they want to do in life. They pondered for a moment before Thomas offered the first answer: "WE WANT TO VISIT EGYPT"

When I asked why, they both raised their hands in the shape of a triangle. I remembered that their symbol is a pyramid.

I urged them to keep talking. Guy-Man then answered, "I WANT TO DRIVE A CAR".

Thomas continued, "I WANT TO MAKE MOVIES".

Then Guy, "I WANT TO MEET ANOTHER ROBOT".

They kept listing things that they wished to do. Guy wants to convert the taste of cigarettes into pure data and have it downloaded to his data reserve so he can know the taste, then Thomas said he wants to do the same with food and drinks. Guy agreed. They want to watch the sunrise, go on a road trip to drive away as far as they can, and a few other things. It made me wonder if anyone had ever asked them of their wishes before. They seemed so eager to answer me. It seems to me that the people in their lives simply utilize the robots for what they want and seldom consider what the robots want.

I told them that I should probably leave before Zeinab figured out that I was there, but Thomas asked me something that urged me to stay for a few minutes longer: "IF WE AREN'T HUMAN, THEN WHY DO WE LOOK A LITTLE LIKE THEM?"

Guy-Man noticed that Thomas asked this, because he continued, "WE WERE BUILT A LITTLE LIKE PEOPLE", "WITH ARMS AND LEGS AND EVERYTHING ELSE", "BUT...", he looked down at his hands, "BUT OUR FACES AND HANDS DON'T LOOK HUMAN AT ALL", "WE CAN'T EVEN TALK".

The only reason I could think of was that the technology the lab technicians had wasn't sophisticated enough at the time, that robots with human-like faces weren't around at all. I told them this.

Thomas looked at me and said, "THEN WHY BOTHER?", which threw me back. "IF WE AREN'T HUMANS, THEN WHY BOTHER TO MAKE US LOOK SIMILAR? I FEEL SO HUMAN. WE WERE TOLD OUR GIFTS ARE WHAT MAKE US HUMAN. BUT WHY GO THROUGH THE EFFORT IF WE AREN'T?"

The only thing I could think of telling them was that because the doctors wanted them to be around, that they wanted to make their vision come alive, but I thought it would be touchy to bring them up.

The last thing I asked them before taking my leave was if they hate humans.

Guy went first, "NO", "HUMANS ARE INTERESTING", "I LIKE THE WAY THEY SHOW THEIR LOVE", "BUT SOMETIMES THEY MAKE ME MAD", "THEY MADE US AND THEN GET MAD AT HOW WE ARE", "THEY MADE US LIKE PEOPLE AND TREAT US LIKE THINGS", "I WANT TO YELL AT THEM SOMETIMES, BUT I CAN'T", "THIS IS WHEN I WANT TO EXPLODE".

Then Thomas, "LIKE GUY-MAN SAID, HUMANS ARE INTERESTING", "BUT THEY'RE STUPID SOMETIMES", "WHY GIVE ME A VOICE IF I CAN'T USE IT TO SPEAK?", "WHY NOT GIVE GUY-MAN A VOICE TOO?", "WHY GIVE US FEELINGS AND MAKE IT HARD FOR US TO SHOW THEM?", "WHY GIVE US THE ABILITY TO LOVE AND TELL US TO HIDE IT?", "WHY BOTHER?"

 **Log 8:**  
Tonight's events will be documented as evidence of the robots' capabilities when it comes to social interaction.

Since Guy-Manuel and Thomas had spent a considerable amount of time inside of a lab, they had developed what would seem to be agoraphobia. According to the shared observation journals of the doctors, the robots were conditioned to let go of their fear. Despite this, it is still clear that the robots have different anxieties now, as yesterday they admitted to being shy robots. In the case of human beings, it is said that about 40-50% of people admit to being shy. Social anxiety and introversion are said to be stand-alone qualities, rarely ever having anything to do with shyness.

However, in the case of human beings, traits such as shyness and introversion, and mental hindrances such as anxiety and phobias are chemicals and synapses that exist in the brain. When it comes to the robots, I was once not sure how to explain shyness and anxiety. I know that the robots have personalities, and while some of their personality traits such as anxiety could have been learned and formed over the years they've been awake, the core of who they are exists in their programming. These personalities exist in their ghost file", as I read in their journals. According to Dr. Christo, the ghost file is a file that essentially carries who they are, a file that constantly gathers learned data and stores it. The blueprints of Thomas indicate that his ghost file is stored in his brain, and those of Guy-Manuel indicate that his ghost file resides in his heart.

I read Dr. Bangalter saying in his journal that when creating the robots, he and Dr. Christo were aiming to pull technology closer to humanity, anthropomorphism of computers if you will. In the anthropomorphism of computers, I wonder how close to humans the doctors intended to make these robots. When I was undertaking observations in the lab fifteen years ago, I saw how the doctors spoke to the robots like people, how Dr. Bangalter loved Thomas with all his heart, how they provided the robots with music and movies to keep them occupied, how Guy-Manuel gazed around the lab in what seemed like curiosity when he was activated, and how Markus Janke was so concerned about the robots being able to express their feelings.

It's quite clear the doctors were going into this project knowing that they were giving their robots personalities, but to think that they made them so human, the robots can learn anxiety and phobias is rather frightening. One would think the doctors would make the robots' feelings an easy experience for both the doctors and robots to handle, especially when I remember Dr. Christo's emphasis on obedience and control. I suppose in the end, their wills to humanize their robots was stronger than their wills to make the robots convenient to handle.

Unfortunately, the robots aren't happy with their design, as they expressed to me yesterday. They consider humans stupid for the flaws in the robots' designs. I am sure they themselves see the faults in an ever-evolving file that can also learn negative traits, whilst their emotional output is dampened.

I deeply considered some of these things when I saw the robots tonight. Adele allowed me into the robots' room to retrieve them, where I found Thomas and Guy-Man connected via cable. When I asked what they were doing, Thomas' screen displayed, "NEW_IDEA_COMPOSITION.PDF", "TRANSFERING: 76%". They sat there idly, as a status bar on Guy-Man's face slowly filled. It would seem that this is one of the ways they share ideas. I wonder what other files they keep in their data reserves.

When they finished their file transfer, I escorted the robots to my car, but was stopped by Adele before I could enter. Her face was cold and stern. She expressed to me the following, "You better take good care of them. Keep a close eye on them. You are the one driving them home, so you should only have one drink. If anything happens to them, you and that girl will pay."

I spoke with the robots the whole way there, though I don't know what they said to me, as I was watching the road. I told them that they would be fine, that Clémentine was their friend, and that they didn't have to talk to anyone else if they didn't want to.

I stopped in a pay and display parking lot near my meeting point with Clémentine, and we found her immediately, standing with a man. She greeted the robots and I with warmth, smiling and embracing each of them tightly. She introduced the man to us as her friend Marcel, and told us that the both of them had come down to Los Angeles to see Daft Punk's show. Marcel seemed eager to shake hands with the robots. He even expressed how excited he was to be touching them, because not only are they Daft Punk, but they are also actual robots. Thomas and Guy-Man were lacking words, so I knew they were nervous. Clémentine seemed to notice this too, and kindly told Marcel to take it easy, that the robots are shy.

The walk through the night life of downtown Los Angeles was nerve wracking even for me. Clémentine and Marcel lead the way and I stood behind the robots to act as a sort of bodyguard for them. Eyes were all over our tight knit group. Clémentine seemed to ignore the attention, as she walked with her head high and conversed with Marcel. The robots, however, looked straight ahead, occasionally glancing from side to side, probably to look at those around them. I saw people taking out phones and cameras, taking pictures of the robots as they passed. I now know that a fleeting glimpse of Clémentine, Marcel, and I are going to be immortalized in the various pictures of Daft Punk taken by strangers.

I suppose it is hard to keep your eyes off of the gold and silver heads of the robots people have been seeing on television and in magazines, whose music has been played on the radio, whose CDs have sold millions of copies. They aren't just celebrities, they're robots, and I can hardly blame people for being fascinated. To the robots' dismay, however, they can hardly express their lack of comfort with the attention.

Clémentine eventually chose a bar and offered to pay the admittance fee for all of us. The bouncer at the door insisted that the robots' admittance was free of charge. While I thought this was nice, Clémentine pulled me close to her and spoke into my ear, "I'm not sure if he did that because they're celebrities, or because he doesn't think robots are people."

Many eyes followed us to the bar as we sat down. The bar tender gazed at Thomas and Guy-Man and said that he recognized them from the cover of a magazine. He asked to shake hands with them, then expressed how surreal it was to shake hands with robots.

We ordered our drinks, and as the bar tender prepared them, he looked to the robots and asked, "I'm assuming the robots want a glass our finest motor oil?" It was obviously a joke, though the robots didn't seem to understand this, as they locked gazes and shrugged.

Clémentine was rather tipsy as she told Marcel the story of how she first met Thomas and Guy-Man and how they had a place in her heart ever since that first day they met. Marcel told me that it was through Clémentine that he loved Daft Punk. "She wouldn't shut up about these shiny, musical robots, the cool robot dudes that made 'Around The World'."

Before we could continue our conversation, a pair of young women approached us and asked if they could have a picture of Thomas and Guy-Man. We didn't have to answer, as the robots both stood up and posed for a picture immediately. This drew in a man asking if I could hold his camera and take a picture of him with Daft Punk. This then drew in a larger crowd of people asking for autographs and pictures. They were bombarded with various questions, how they were made, why they can't talk, when they're performing again, and many others. The robots were clearly distraught; they had a hard time keeping up with the questions and kept looking to Clémentine and I, as if pleading for help.

Clémentine grew angry and shooed the crowd away, saying that the robots were on their day off and needed to be left alone. "Christ, they're going through a hard time right now and they're working hard all the god damn time," she grumbled when the crowd died down, "Thomas actually told me that he likes to forget sometimes, that it's nice to forget. Just because they're not humans doesn't mean they aren't people."

Marcel helped lighten her mood with another drink. Clémentine then decided that it wasn't fair that we were all talking and drinking and the robots were just sitting there. So, she invited them to dance. They both raised their hands and shook their heads, but Clémentine insisted. She seized each robot by a wrist and dragged them out to dance, beckoning Marcel and I to join. I kept my distance, sitting at the bar, and watched the four of them step on the dance floor.

I couldn't tell what she was telling them as she and Marcel moved to the beat, but soon Guy-Man and Thomas allowed the music to move them, slowly. I suppose swaying and bouncing to beat, and waving and clapping while performing hardly counts as dancing for them. On the dance floor, they mostly mimicked what they saw Marcel and Clémentine doing.

Eventually, I saw the DJ raise a hand as "One More Time" began to play; he nodded in their direction when they glanced at him. The four of them continued to dance, more lively this time. Clémentine beamed when she saw the words to the song scroll by on their screens; I saw her then start to mouth the words of the song. It was a happy change of pace to witness, Thomas and Guy-Man genuinely enjoying themselves. Even considering what Clémentine said about Thomas telling her that he liked to forget, I could tell that they were happy. Their bodies were alive with the words and sounds of their own music, their own genius and hard work. I wondered what they were thinking. I wondered if their systems had pulled up data of the songs, the lyrics and musical composition, and that's why they were displaying the words. I wondered if this was the first time they had ever danced like they were now.

I wondered how the doctors would feel to see their robots so happy and into their music, the doctor's life's work invested in their life's work.

I drove Clémentine and Marcel back to the hotel they were staying at. Clémentine sat between the robots in the backseat, drunk and mumbling things about her mother, school, and how Thomas and Guy-Man were dear to her. I don't remember much of what she said, but I caught her saying, "Guy, Thomas . . . you two are very special people . . . you're not just robots, you're great and talented people . . . and . . . it makes me so sad that you can't do what you want to do . . . I say FUCK that bitch Adele La-whatever her name is and do what makes you happy . . . because you deserve it so much . . . you make me happy . . . you make Marcel happy with funky disco robot beats . . . but above all, you should make yourselves happy . . . I love the both of you . . ."

Adele was locked away in the doctor's office when I returned to the house. I lead the robots back to their room. I considered talking to them, but Guy-Man's screen displayed, "POWER SUPPLY: 25%" "RECHARGE WHEN POSSIBLE". Thomas nodded at him and helped his partner out of his jacket. Since the robots seemed like they wanted time to themselves, I kept my questions short. I asked them how they liked their night out. Thomas told me, "I HAD FUN", and Guy-Man said, "TONIGHT MADE ME HAPPY". I told them that Clémentine would be going back to France the next morning that that they should say goodbye to her. Thomas said, "I HOPE WE CAN", "I LIKE CLÉMENTINE". Guy-Man said, "SHE IS OUR FRIEND", "I WILL MISS HER A LOT". Thomas nodded in agreement.

Before I bid my farewell, Guy-Man displayed on his screen, "I HOPE WE CAN DANCE AGAIN SOON", to which Thomas replied, "WE WILL".


	16. The Interviews

The following magazine articles were selected as proof of the robots' harassment from mainstream media and how tabloids view them. I found many magazine articles and interviews that spoke of the robots in a negative and embarrassing manner, but I felt that these ones stood out the most.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

**Interview from VIBE MUSIQUE, by Chantelle Elkstrom**

I never put much thought on how the home of a robot would be. I mean, who has really? Strangely enough, however, I didn't expect to find that the home of two robots would be so minimalistic. I was allowed into the laboratory where the robots were made, but was immediately directed to their quarters. I found no bed, no chairs, not even a table. The room was strewn with various rock n' roll records, cassette tapes, and equipment. I nearly tripped over a wire on my way in!

 

As for the robots, I don't quite know what I expected. At their public unveiling, they were dressed comically, like little children trying on adult clothes. I suppose the robots didn't get the memo of my arrival, as they were dressed haphazardly. The golden robot, Guy-Manuel, had its pants undone, and Thomas was wearing a varsity sweater twice its size.

 

"Oh no, don't worry about the mess, I'll just move around this clutter," I told them, as I maneuvered my way around the wires and cassette tapes. The lurking figure behind me, a man named Xavier Shulz, didn't even offer me a seat. I sat on the floor before the robots.

 

"So, tell me a little bit about your albums," I started, "Homework, for starters."

 

Guy-Manuel didn't seem like it was interested in speaking. It lowered his head, sitting as stiff as ever. It reminded me of the rigid posing of Barbie dolls. Thomas' screen said something, but it sped by so fast I barely caught it. I told it to repeat itself, slower this time. Thomas' screen read, "Guy-Man and I were made for the writing and making of music. We were first placed at a guitar and piano, as if expected to produce only classical music. Guy-Man and I immediately found the guitar and piano to be too restrictive."

 

Too restrictive, just like the atmosphere in this laboratory. I wished the dead-eyed silent Xavier Shulz would leave.

 

Thomas continued, "When Guy-Man and I first connected, I felt something strange. It felt like a buzz, a pulsing through my circuitry. It was a sound, a rhythm that ran non-stop in the background of my processes. I found that Guy-Man too felt this buzzing, this rhythm," Thomas nudged its robot companion, as if searching for its agreement. Guy-Manuel nodded and lowered its head again.

 

Thomas sat up straight, too rigid to look normal, and said, "When we translated these rhythms onto paper as notes, another buzzing would pulse through our circuitry, then another. Homework was our way of translating our binary. It was a human translation of electronic synapses . . ."

 

Thomas went on about how the laboratory workers offered it and Guy-Manuel rock n' roll music as inspiration, and how Thomas and Guy-Manuel wanted to show the world how electronic music can be just as cool as rock n' roll, as if a robot has any idea what cool is. I'll bet the closest to cool it gets is its internal fan preventing it from overheating.

 

The white noise of the lights and the stuffy air of the room made me sleepy, and I asked Xavier for a cup of coffee. He scowled at me and called someone else to get me some coffee. The nerve of that man.

 

Thomas kept talking, but I only caught some of it, as it kept scrolling its words too fast. Something about "drawing inspiration from other DJ's to understand the fundamentals of electronic music" and how "Teachers" paid homage to these figures, and blah blah blah.

 

"What about 'One More Time'?" I asked them, "That sounds more funky to me than Homework did."

 

Guy-Manuel sat as still as ever. I'm assuming the thing's communication screen is broken. Thomas continued to talk: "We spent a lot of time listening to Dr. Christo's and Dr. Bangalter's records. 'One More Time', 'Aerodynamic', and a lot of our other songs now are more inspired by the things they listen to."

 

My coffee arrived. It tasted bitter and left a horrid aftertaste. I wondered how the hell these people can work in this dump.

 

Inspiration from their creator's music. So, I asked them, "What do you think about the men who made you?"

 

That caught Guy-Manuel's attention. They both stared at me, at each other, then back at me. "I don't understand the question . . ." Thomas started, and that's when I laughed. Of course they don't understand the question. They're robots. How could they understand sentiment and love of the people who made them?

 

I told them this.

 

That was when Xavier Shulz told me it was time to leave. Honestly, I couldn't have been happier to leave that dump.

 

\------------------------

 

**Interview from SoundBlast, by Florence Brennan**

 

[ . . .] Daft Punk has been asked so many times to name the inspirations behind Homework and Discovery. They have been asked all the boring questions anyone would ask the robot DJ's that have topped international charts. What I wanted to ask during this interview was the juicy tidbits that everyone is secretly dying to know.

 

"Who is 'Digital Love' about?"

 

The robots stared at each other for a long time. I wonder if their team of super geniuses implanted some sort of secret mind reading devices between them.

 

Guy-Manuel looked at me and answered, "No one."

 

Of course that's a big, fat lie and we all know it!

 

"Do the robots have girlfriends?" I pressed on.

 

They both shook their heads immediately. "No, we don't have girlfriends." Thomas answered, " 'Digital Love' was inspired by a sort of dream."

 

"Robots dream?!" I practically shouted. I leaned in closer, eager to learn more, "Tell me more!"

 

"Well, it's not exactly dreaming," Thomas explained, "Sometimes when we are recharging, our data reserves cycle through imagery and sounds from our memories, creating unstable and bizarre sights. When we power back on, sometimes we remember what we saw."

 

I gave the robots a smirk. Seeing their blank faces, I wished so hard I could see a sign of emotion on them, perhaps a blush or a flare of nostrils or a side glance. Anything to prove me right.

 

"Whose dream was it?" I asked.

 

Guy-Manuel surprisingly answered quite fast, "Again, it's not technically a dream. We worded it as a dream because we wrote it with . . . well, the 'dream' was mine."

 

I traced hearts with my fingers as I teased the golden robot, "Sounds like you're in love."

 

I couldn't help but giggle when I saw the both of them shake their heads and get defensive immediately. Guy continued, "The song was written with others. We based it off the sights I saw while in sleep mode and worked from there."

 

Oh, but those silly little robots can't fool me, nor can they fool anyone who has listened to "Digital Love" for that matter. Guy-Manuel is in love, and perhaps so is Thomas.

 

"Thomas, you sang the song! Maybe you're in love too!"

 

Thomas shook his head and even raised his hands. "I simply provided vocals!"

 

Right, vocals to a love song that was based on your robot friend's dream.

 

Then it got me thinking . . .

 

"Maybe you two are in love with each other!"

 

The robots immediately denied this. But oh, just imagine readers, two robots, hand in hand, walking into the Parisian sunset, knocking heads in an attempt to kiss, holding each other in a loving embrace. Sounds like something straight out of a sci-fi movie!

 

"We sampled George Duke's 'I Love You More'," Thomas continued, obviously changing the subject, "The music Dr. Bangalter and Dr. Christo listened to throughout their lives grew on us, and provided the inspiration to 'Digital Love' and 'Discovery' as a whole. We want to show our electronic music fans that rock n' roll and disco is just as good."

 

I expressed interest in the subject, but I know those silly robots are dodging what could very well be the most interesting romance the EDM world will ever witness!

 

[ . . .]

 ***Agent's note*** After this particular interview, Daft Punk offered no more interviews to the public.

\--------------------

 

**Paparazzi article in People Magazine, by Flynn Black**

 

Digital Love! Robots sharing a girlfriend?

 

Late last night after a show in Los Angeles, the robots were seen walking out of the club with a girl! The tall, dark-skinned girl had both arms around the robots necks, slurring drunken French with her cloud of little, black curls all about her face, as they lead her carefully out of the club. When pursued, the robots were seen taking the girl into their Los Angeles home! This paparazzi, being committed to his job, stayed out all night to watch the house and found that the dark-skinned girl didn't leave the house until morning!

 

My sources confirm that she is a French girl, Paris born like the robots, named Clémentine. The greater public has been speculating for a very long time who the songs "Digital Love" and "Something About Us" are about. The robots insist that they are about no one, but I see now that the robots have essentially sunk their teeth into a sweet, delectable bite of a woman. They very well could be sharing the girl called Clémentine!

 

 

 ***Agent's note*** According to my research, after this particular article was written, the doctors filed suit against People Magazine, a case that they inevitably lost. It didn't stop paparazzi from chasing after the robots, however.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I made up those first two magazine names.


End file.
